Unstable
by ChocoChocoChan
Summary: COMPLETE **New Alternate Ending Added** Inuyasha has been locked in an Insane Asylum for a long time. He is unable to hear at all, but what happens when a strange girl stumbles upon him, and he can hear her perfectly?
1. Number Five

Disclaimer= I do not own any of the characters. I own the plot. 

Unstable 

Number Five

            He ran, more like trotted down the hall. His long silver hair was flowing gracefully behind him. Several men were chasing him. He increased his speed. The front doors were so close; he entered the lobby and glanced at the young woman at the front desk. Suddenly men piled out from nowhere and blocked his only exit. He skidded to a halt and quickly looked behind him to see the men following him had blocked all the other doors. 

            "Now Number Five, why do you keep trying to escape?" One of the men said as he inched closer. "We're just trying to help you." The man frowned. One of the men who was blocking a door hit the ground hard as a woman wearing a white lab coat pushed through it. The man looked up from his spot on the floor and glared at the woman as she ran by. 

            "Dr. Sango." Some of the men greeted as she stopped mere feet away from Number Five. But Number Five wasn't going to have any of this, and he bolted for the front doors. To bad for him that there were four men there waiting for him to do just that. They tackled him to the ground and each one grabbed either an arm or a leg. Number Five struggled with all his might. The four men were having trouble holding him down. Dr. Sango kneeled down beside the struggling patient and pulled out a needle from one of her pockets. This only made Number Five struggle more wildly.

            "You over there, blocking the doors, get over here and help!" She yelled as she tapped the syringe to make sure no air bubbles were in it. The men did as they were told and now there were eight men holding Number Five to the ground. "Now, this is only a mild sedative, it will calm you down." She rubbed his shoulder and quickly jabbed the needle into it, pushing the liquid in. "Shhh." She said as Number Five struggled against the shot. "Calm down." She gently rubbed his for head as the drugs started to kick in. The men loosened their grip on his arms but still held on. 

            "This is his sixth time he's tried to escape Doctor." The man holding on to Number Five's right arm said.

            "I know, I know." Sango muttered. She put the syringe back in her pocket and continued to brush Number Five's bangs back. 

            "What do you think we should do?" he asked her. 

            "Call Dr. Higurashi." Sango said as Number Five's body went completely limp. 

~

            Kagome sat happily at the breakfast table, on a beautiful Monday morning. "Beautiful day." She told her dad as he walked into the kitchen. He finished tying his tie and looked out the kitchen window. 

            "Kagome, have you noticed it's raining up a storm." He said looking back at his daughter. 

            "Yup," she said and took a sip from her coffee. 

            Her father just shook his head, "I'll never understand teenagers." He said. He walked over to the coffee pot and began pouring himself a glass. 

            "It's the Christmas holiday's Dad!" Kagome jumped up. "No more school, no more homework, no more teacher's dirty looks!" Kagome started to sing.

            "Okay, okay." He laughed. Then he stopped abruptly and stared at Kagome.

            "What is it Dad?" she asked.

            "Your mother and your brother went to visit your grandfather, there not here." He said like he had just been told he had one week to live.

            "I know that, Dad." Kagome took another sip of coffee. 

            "That means there's no one here to watch you." He said. 

            "I'm here." Kagome said. 

            "You'll have to come to work with me." He stated like that was the end of the discussion. Well he wasn't even close.

            "WHAT!" Kagome yelled, standing up in her chair. She had her hands on the counter. "Dad, why can't I just stay home I'm sixteen now, that's old enough!" She slammed a fist into the counter.

            "Kagome, we are not going to discuss this. Your coming and that's that." He took a gulp out of his coffee and had to fan his tongue. 

            "But DAD!" Kagome whined. "You work at an insane asylum!"

            "That's not what it's called Kagome. It's called, Private Hospital for the Mentally Unstable." He corrected her.

            "That's just what you want the public to think." She said more to herself then to him.  "Your probably actually making mutants or something."

            "Don't be silly Kagome, the government does that. We better get leaving or I'll be late." He poured out the rest of the hot coffee into the sink.  Kagome stared at him a moment pondering what he said about the government. Then she remembered the asylum. 

            "I'm staying right here."

            "Fine if you want to stay home all by yourself, with nothing to do. That's fine with me." He grabbed his keys off the counter. Kagome stood there, arms crossed, thinking.

            "Whatever, let me grab my coat." She stomped off down the hallway and into her room.

            "Now, that's my girl!" He called after her. 

~

            "So why is it so important that you go to work today?" Kagome asked once they were on the road. 

            "Dr. Sango called me in and said she was having trouble with a patient." He nearly missed a light pole.

            Kagome clenched the armrest of her seat, "Yeah, right. You used that excuse like a month ago." She closed her eyes when another motorist went zooming by honking his horn.

            "Get off the road, grandpa!" he zoomed by. Mr. Higurashi just ignored him. 

            "That's because she called me last month and told me about it. I've been putting it off." He honked his horn to the guy in front of him. "Move it or lose it!" he yelled. 

            "Why would you put off seeing a patient?" She looked at him. 

            "Because, he's been there longer than I have. No one even knows his name." He slowed and stopped at a red light. He looked at his daughter. "We call him Number Five. Why? We don't know, we just always have. Perhaps when I check over his files I'll find out. Dr. Sango told me that he can't hear. He doesn't speak either but she thinks he can." Kagome's eyes widened. 

            "I'm glad I can hear." She said flatly. 

            "Me too." Mr. Higurashi agreed. 

            "Dad go! The light's green!" Kagome yelled.

            "Oh…um…yeah." He changed the gears and stepped on the gas. Only to go in reverse and hit the car behind him, he quickly changed it back to drive. "Oops." The man they hit got out of his car and was making his way to the driver side window. He didn't look like a happy camper. 

            "Go DAD!" Kagome reached over and stepped her foot on the gas. The car jerked off and left the man in the dust.  

~

            "Good Morning Dr. Higurashi." The woman at the front desk greeted. It was one of those desks that had the high wall in front of it and for you to actually see who it was behind it you had to be right next to it. 

            "Not really Kikyo." He said. "Any mail." 

            "Just a bunch from Dr. Sango, seems your avoiding her." She reached below her desk and brought up a very large bag. 

            "Is that all from her." He asked nervously. Kikyo just nodded. "Oh." He said. Kagome coughed trying to get her father's attention. "Please forgive me, Kikyo this is my daughter Kagome. Kagome this is Ms. Kikyo." Kikyo stood up. Kagome could have sworn she was staring into a mirror. 

            "Kikyo will be just fine." She said and offered her hand for Kagome to shack. Kagome took it. It was one brief shake before both girls let go and just stared at each other.

            "Kagome you can hang out in the T. V. room while I catch up on his file." He reached over the wall and grabbed the giant bag of letters. "The patients there are the good ones, and I am sure you don't want to sit in my office and watch me read." He slung the heavy parcel over his back like he was Santa.  

            "No, I don't." Kagome still stared at Kikyo. 

            "Kikyo could you please show her the way? I'm late enough as it is." Before Kikyo could answer he started to walk off. He entered one of the doors on the right side. That's when Kagome actually noticed how big the lobby actually was. The ceilings were high and there were at least five doors behind the counter. And there were chairs lined up on either wall. There were several vending machines as well. 

            "Looks as though I have no choice." Kikyo mumbled. She started to make her way out from behind the desk when she stopped and stared at Kagome. 

            "What?" Kagome said. Then she noticed that Kikyo wasn't staring at her, but at something behind her. Kagome turned around and saw what looked like a young man dressed up as a monk with a police officer escorting him inside. 

            "Miroku! Who said you could sign out?" Kikyo came completely out from behind the desk. 

            "Dr. Sango, of course." He said. 

            "Dr. Sango would never authorize that!" Kikyo nearly yelled. 

            "Excuse me, Miss. What do you want me to do with him?" The officer said. 

            "You can go, I can handle him from here." Kikyo said. Both men cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh stop being perverted!" She yelled and pushed the cop off Miroku and nearly threw Miroku into the desk. 

            "I like it rough," Miroku said as he stood up. The cop let out a small chuckle and left. 

            "Miroku, do you want to go to the time out room?" Kikyo questioned. 

            "Not really, it's rather boring and there's no ladies." 

            "Ugh!" Kikyo yelled and grabbed one of the clipboards of the desk. She scribbled something down and pointed at the very first door on the left. "Go back to your room Miroku! Or do I need to sedate you?" 

            "Sedate me baby." He said with a hint of lust. Kikyo slapped him upside the head with the clipboard she was holding. 

            "Go!" She yelled.

            "As soon as you apologize!" he said rubbing the side of his face. She gave him a death glare and he raised his hands in his defense. "Going, I'm going."

            "And change out of those robs." She put the clipboard down. 

            "But I like the breeze." He pulled up the bottom and flashed the entire lobby. Luckily, Kagome and Kikyo were the only ones in it. That was the last straw for Kikyo she sat down in her desk and clenched her fists just to keep from hitting him. Then Miroku noticed Kagome. "What is such a lovely lady as yourself doing in a place like this?" He looked at Kagome a moment. "Are you related to Kikyo, because then I could understand –owe- hey who threw that?" Kikyo just whistled. 

            "No I'm not, my father is Dr. Higurashi." Kagome said. "My name is Kagome."

            "Pleasure to meet you Kagome, I am the Amorous Monk Miroku." He bowed to her. Kagome gave Kikyo a strange look.

            "He thinks he's a monk." Kikyo shrugged. "He's actually a telemarketer." 

            "I'd rather be a monk too." Kagome said. 

            "I am a monk!" Miroku said. 

            "That's not all." Kikyo said. "He thinks he has a black hole in his right hand. That's why the prayer beads are there." Kikyo motioned with her head to his right hand. 

            Miroku held it out in front of him. "Do not take my curse lightly." He said. Kikyo rolled her eyes and stood up. 

            Kagome turned and saw more people entering the building. "Miroku could you please take Kagome to the T. V. room? And do change into something decent." The people arrived at the desk. "How can I help you?"

            "This way, my lady." Miroku walked towards the first door on the left. 

A/N= How's that? I do hope you all enjoy it cause I really want to write the second chapter. A lot of stuff starts to happy. Like what you ask? Kagome finally meets Number Five. (And if you haven't guessed that Number Five is Inuyasha, I'm telling you right now that Number Five is Inuyasha.) And she learns his real name. But how? He can't hear. Stay tuned to find out.


	2. Number Five's Secret

Disclaimer: These are not my characters…blah…blah…blah.

Unstable

Number Five's Secret

            Kagome happily followed Miroku into a long corridor that had doors on either side. She walked past the first door and noticed a clip board attached to it. She glanced at the clip board as she walked by: 

Kanna

Age: Unknown

Gender: Female

Diagnosis: Thinks she can suck souls into a mirror. 

Treatment: Undecided.

Care of: Dr. Sango.

            "Come on Lady Kagome." Miroku called behind him. 

            "Miroku, who are these people?" Kagome looked at the next door and started to read it as well:

Kagura

Age: Unknown

Gender: Female

Diagnosis: Thinks she can control wind.

Treatment: Sedated, not to be disturbed.

Care of: Dr. Higurashi.

            "Hey this is one of my dad's patients." Kagome pointed to the clip board. 

            "Yes, this is your father's and Sango's hallway." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the door. "Some of these patients are dangerous, others are kind, so please be careful." 

            "You're not dangerous, are you?"

            Miroku smiled pleasantly and released her wrist. "Now, now! Do I look dangerous?" 

            Actually, no. Kagome thought. He looks more like a girl with that robe on.

            Miroku took her silence as a no. "Well I must get back to my room before Kikyo comes to attack me." He smiled lustfully. "Maybe I want to her come for me." 

            "Just go already!" Kagome yelled.

            "Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a twist, geesh. The play room is at the end of this hall just follow it all the way down." Miroku went into the third door on the opposite side of Kanna and Kagura's rooms. Kagome read his clipboard:

Miroku

Age: 22

Gender: Male _You know it._

(The 'You know it,' was written in pencil and Kagome could only guess that Miroku had put it there.)

Diagnosis: Thinks he has black hole in right hand. _I DO!_

Treatment: Weekly sessions with Dr. Sango. _DAILY!_

Care of: Dr. Sango. _Hubba Hubba._

            Kagome rolled her eyes and walked further down the hallway glancing occasionally at different clipboards. She stopped at a door that caught her eyes. It looked like every other door in the hallway. It had a small window just above the clipboard and was painted teal. She couldn't help but read every page of the clip board, the first page held the normal information:

Number Five.

            Isn't that the patient my dad is going to treat? She thought.

Age: Undetermined.

            Undetermined, what's that mean? She thought. 

Gender: Male

Diagnosis: See page 3 for details.

Treatment: Undecided.

Care of: 

            The 'care of' was left blank and Kagome bit her bottom lip. See page three for details? She thought. She flipped to page three, but it went from two to four. Where is page there? 

            She heard moaning from inside the room and looked through the small window just above the clipboard. She could barely fit both her eyes. Inside sitting on the far wall, wrapped in a straight jacket, was a boy. 

            His head was resting on his chest and Kagome could not see his eyes. His legs were sprawled out on the floor, one of the knees was slightly raised and bent. Long silver hair flowed from his head and the tips rested on the ground while he was in this sitting position. In the center of his mane of silver hair, two dog ears rested. 

            He has dog ears. She thought. His hair is so pretty, long and silver. Is he old? No he looks young. He seems fine to me, why is Sango having trouble with him? 

            Kagome was so taken with his appearance that she couldn't help but try to open the door. Locked. 

            "Figures." She said. "What am I doing?" She looked around the hallway and no one was around. "Did I just think I could open it?" She tried it once more for good measure.

            Her fingertips tingled. Click. It was unlocked. She stared wide-eyed at the door. 

            Now what? She thought. 

            The hall was completely vacant of other souls besides her. She could not hear a single sound. She stared through the small window on his door. As though she were possessed she turned the knob and let the door swing in. It banged on the other side of the wall and swung back slightly. He didn't even twitch at the loud banging sound it made. She stepped into the doorway and eyed the patient that everyone was so afraid of. He hadn't moved, he appeared to be asleep. 

            Kagome out of habit closed the door behind her. 

            Click. It locked. 

            "Shit," she said. She pulled on the handle, trying to force it open, but this time the door did not want her to be freed. It wanted her inside. She started to panic. She pulled violently and banged on the door. She did not yell though. She was scared she might wake him. 

            In the midst of her fright she did not hear the tearing of the straight jacket or the growl that emitted from deep inside someone's throat. 

            But she did feel the tap on her shoulder.

            She screamed and jumped high into the air. When she landed her knees buckled and she collapsed onto the floor and pressed her back against the forever locked door. 

            She looked up at the patient, wanting to see her death in the eye. He was pressing his dog ears to his head with his hands in pain. His eyes were scrunched closed and a small fang was hanging over his lip.  

            He doesn't look so tough. She thought. He kind of looks like a lost puppy. 

            Kagome continued to stare at him. She was taken by his appearance and she felt the strongest sensation that she needed to help him. NOW. To get up and help. She wanted to ease the pain, to make him better. To help. 

            But why? She thought. Why do I want to help? I don't even know him. You shouldn't have opened his door. 

            He released his ears and opened his eyes. Kagome gasped at the deep golden tint of them. They revealed all his inner thoughts to her, in one single second she knew what he was feeling.

            **Curiosity. **

            But how do I know this? She panicked in her mind. How can I tell? Am I going crazy? Is this all just a dream?

            She did not get up, she stared at his eyes and her own eyes started to water. Hidden deep within his eyes, she could see it, pain. Not physical pain, emotional. It was such a terrible pain that Kagome herself started to feel it. It radiated off him, and seeped into her skin.  

            She burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. Her sudden movement caused him to back away from her. She sobbed into her hands. The pain in his heart suffocating her own feelings, her heart felt as though it had shattered into a thousand tiny peaces. 

            "So much pain." She sobbed. "so much…" 

            His ears twitched. 

            She looked up at him as more and more tears trickled down her cheeks and landed on the concrete floor of his room. His empty room, there wasn't a single piece of furniture, only a small toilet and sink in the right hand corner. 

            **Surprise.**

            That's what he's feeling now, she thought. He's surprised I'm crying. I am to. But I can't stop, how can he even move with this much pain locked up inside? How…can he do anything?

            "Shut up already." He spoke. His voice was strong, comforting, and rude. 

            He can hear? She thought. But I thought he was deaf. 

            **Annoyance. **

            He's annoyed with me. Okay, I'll try to spot crying. 

            She took a deep breath and tried to focus on her own feelings. It was working, as long as she didn't look into his eyes she wouldn't burst into tears again. But she would also not see any other feelings. She rubbed the tears off her face and stared at the ground. 

            "Sorry." She said. 

            "Who are you?" he asked rudely. 

            "Kagome." She said. 

            "Ya sure? You look a lot like that girl at the front desk." 

            "You don't know her name? Hasn't she ever introduced herself?" Kagome rubbed her eyes.

            "Oh yeah, I bet she has. But I can't hear her at all." He plopped down on the floor and Kagome could see his blue hospital suit out of the corner of her eye.

            She ignored his comment and took the chance to look at him. The pain rushed over her but she held her tears in. She had to ask. 

            "Why," she stammered. "Why are you in so much pain. How can you be in this much pain!" She yelled. 

            His eyes widened as he watched her collapse into a heap of sobs on the ground. 

~

            He left her there, not wanting to touch her. She hadn't moved from the spot behind the closed door, but her sobs had stopped and now he could only smell the salt of her tears. Her small hands covered her face. Her knees were drawn into her body. Her black hair was falling across her face. Even as she cried she was beautiful. 

            But who is she? He thought. She who was able to unlock the door, she who is crying on the floor in my cell right now. She who I can hear. 

            He stared at her with nervous eyes. He can hear her heart, but he can't hear the pounding of his own fist on the ground. He can hear the deep breathes she takes as she tries to calm herself, but he can't hear the sound of her feet on the cold ground. He can't hear the creak of a door open, or the sound of a pin drop, but he can hear her. Every sound that emits from her body he can hear, with abnormal clarity. 

            He stood up and leaned against the far wall and lightly crossed his arms around his chest. He hid his eyes from her and spoke, "Sit up, you're making me sick with all this crying." 

            "I'm not crying!" she yelled. She stood and glared at him. Her eyes were red and wet from crying. Her voice was slightly horse from the sobbing. 

            "Good." He threw back at her. "Now that you're through with your random crying you can tell me just who the HELL you are!" He took a step forward and pointed a finger at her. 

            Kagome diverted her own eyes from looking into his. She instead glared at his pointed finger. "That is what I should be asking you!"

            "You're the one who busted into my cell!" He screamed back. 

            "Yeah! I thought you were deaf!" She clenched her eyes closed and lifted her head slightly. 

            "That doesn't give you the right to break in to my cell!" He gasped and took a step back.

            She opened her eyes slowly, scared if she looked into his eyes again she would break down and cry. 

            **Fear.**

            His facial expression did not show this but his eyes revealed all his emotions. His eyebrows were drawn in close to his eyes and his teeth were clenched. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. He looked angry, but his eyes revealed strong fear. 

            "I am." He said softer. 

            "But, you can hear me…" She quickly turned her head to the side and wiped away fresh tears before he could see them. 

            "Yes, I think we've established that." He growled. 

            "Well you don't have to yell at me! It's not like I MADE you hear me!" she yelled. She was facing the wall. 

            "Oh, that's what you say!" He stepped closer. He walked around to where she was facing and she quickly turned away from him. As she spun around her hair brushed past his face and he could smell the clean scent that was 'her'. She stood with her back to him. 

            "That IS what I say!" Kagome hugged herself. 

            "Well exactly who are YOU!" 

            "Kagome!" she clenched her fists at her side. "My name is Kagome!" 

            "Well then Kagome," he yelled. "Get out of my cell!" 

            "Don't you think I've tried?" she turned around and stared at his forehead, just above his eyes. 

            "Try harder!" But he made no attempt himself to open the door. He only stood there staring into her eyes. But Kagome refused to look into his, she did not want to cry again. 

            "Seems like I'm stuck here." She said. 

            "Seems that way." He growled. 

            "Well if I am to stay here, why don't you tell me your name?"

            "What? You don't know it already? It's 'Number Five.' That's what all my paper work says at least." He turned his nose up at her. 

            Kagome looked into his eyes and dug her fingernails into her hand to prevent herself from crying. She was happy to see his own eyes were closed and she release her hand. "That's not what I mean. I want your real name." 

            He opened his eyes and Kagome saw true and utter surprise radiate off him, so much that she did not want to cry. The pause before he spoke was long and the tension between them did not lessen at all. 

            Then he spoke, "Inuyasha. My name is Inuyasha." 

            The tension vanished at his words and he looked her directly in the eye. 

            "Inuyasha." Kagome said. 

            "Yeah, Inuyasha." He groaned. She wasn't going to cry again was she?

            She smiled. 

            Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat at her smile. 

            Kagome saw the emotion play through his eyes. 

*****************************

            The end of the second chapter. Yea. 

            Review. 

            Thanks. 


	3. Confidential

Disclaimer: Blah-diddy blah-biddy-do da. BLAH!

            (That's 'Blah' for, I do not own these characters. BLAH!)

Unstable

Confidential.  

            Three hours passed. Kagome was sitting with her back against the door playing with a strand of her hair. Inuyasha was standing in front of her, looking sternly down at her. They've been standing this way for the past hour. Inuyasha dared not touch her. And Kagome dared not look up at him. They were locked in this position till one of them decided to speak. Who would it be? Kagome, or Inuyasha. Inuyasha's own pride prevented him from asking her to talk non-stop so he could feel the sound travel into his ears. And Kagome was still slightly upset from crying. She was nearly over it and the long deep sighs she had been repeatedly doing had lessened considerably. 

            Kagome looked up at him and he quickly turned his head away from her. He was embarrassed to be caught staring at her. She titled her head to the side slightly and smiled. "Inuyasha, how long do you think it will be before someone finds me in here?" her voice was pleasant. Inuyasha hasn't been talked to so kindly in a long time. 

            "Feh, I don't know girl." He crossed his arms. 

            "Don't they feed you?" She asked. 

            "No," he started sarcastically, "I thrive on the dust bunnies that linger in the corners." 

            Kagome laughed. 

            Laughter, he hadn't heard that sound in a long time. He would soon learn her every emotion just by listening to the sound of her voice, even if she did try to mask it. 

            "No Inuyasha." She said. He heard the rustle of her clothing and the moving of her body. He looked at her and she was standing, looking at him, her eyes were closed and a wide smile was cleanly spread across her face. "Food." 

            "I know what you meant, girly." He said. He rolled his eyes. 

            "Well?" Kagome edged him to answer. 

            "Three o' clock." He said and trudged over to the sink and toilet and looked angrily at his reflection in the mirror. 

            "Three then." Kagome looked at her watch and sighed in defeat. 2: 15.

            "Are you a patient here?" He asked. "Cause you sure don't act like it. I mean you aren't wearing the required blue terrible looking clothing." He turned around and looked at her. 

            "Oh no!" She said. "I'm Dr. Higurashi's daughter!" 

            "Remind me, which one is he?" Inuyasha put his hand on his chin. 

            "Uh…my dad?" 

            That isn't much help, she thought. 

            Inuyasha only rolled his eyes. "As in, describe him, hair color, perhaps how he smells." 

            "OH!" she yelled. "I can do that, he always wears way to much after shave!" 

            Inuyasha's expression dropped, "so you're *his* daughter." He said sadly. 

            "Yes, and he's come here to help cure you. Won't he just be so happy to find you can hear me?" 

            Inuyasha's expression changed from gloom to anger in 1.2 seconds. "NO! You mustn't do that, you stupid girl!" He yelled. 

            Kagome backed up a bit in surprise at his out burst. "And why not?" 

            "If you do that you stupid girl, you will have to spend e-v-e-r-y s-i-n-g-l-e day with me. I won't get any rest! It would be terrible!" He actually spelled the words out. 

            "Gosh, your sooo considerate of others." Kagome said sarcastically. 

            "Why thank you." 

            "Jerk. Not like I would want to spend any time with you." 

            "Stupid girl! I hope someone gets here soon to take you away!" Inuyasha turned on a dime and plopped down on the floor. 

            Kagome huffed and turned her back to him and crossed her arms. 

            And to think, she thought. That entire time he was talking to me I *stared* into his eyes, and I didn't see any sadness. What does it mean? Does he not feel sad talking to me? That's crazy how could I erase his sadness? Besides we just only met…

~

2: 55

            "Miroku! Get out of the Kitchen!" Sango yelled as she retrieved Number Five's food. 

            "But Lady Sango!" Miroku pouted. 

            "Now! Before I call security, and change out of those ridiculous robes! They make you look like a girl!" She pushed past Miroku and out of the Kitchen with a rectangle shaped Tupperware in her hands, into the lobby. 

            "Does it really?" He asked a kitchen maid. She just rolled her eyes and hurried off. 

            "Good day Sango?" Kikyo questioned. 

            "Great, it feels like the world has diarrhea and took a shit on me." Sango pushed through the first door on the left. 

            "Gross." Kikyo commented before she continued to type on her computer. 

            Sango scurried down the hallway and stopped in front of Number Five's door. She set his food on the ground next to the door and pulled a huge ring of keys out of her lab coat pocket. They made loud clanking sounds as she flipped keys over trying to find the one that opened…

            "Ah ha!" she said and stuck a copper key into the lock of the door. 

            Click. 

            As the door swung open she reached down and picked up his food. She smiled into his room and held the Tupperware up. "Look what I've brought!" she said. But of course he couldn't hear her. 

            The sight that Sango saw in his room caused her to drop his food. The lid popped off as it hit the ground and a roast beef sandwich, chips, a canned drink, and an apple spilled out onto the ground. Sango stood unable to speak for a moment with her hands out in front of her: still in the position they had carried the Tupperware in. 

            Kagome was leaning against the sink with a look of surprise and hope written across her face. Inuyasha was staring directly at Kagome with the most vicious look on his face. He was leaning down towards her with one arm on the sink that Kagome was leaning on. Kagome seemed unfazed by his intimidating position and she only stared at Sango. 

            Inuyasha followed her gaze till he saw Sango standing in the doorway. He immediately took a giant step away from Kagome and crossed his arms. Kagome cupped both her hands together and ran towards Sango. 

            "Thank goodness!" Kagome said. "I thought that I'd be locked in here forever!" 

            Sango regained her composure and spoke, "And who exactly are you?" 

            "I'm Kagome Higurashi, My father is a doctor who works here." 

            "Oh yes," Sango said. She eyed Inuyasha wearily. Had he been about to attack this girl? She thought. If so, why does this girl not seem frightened of him? 

            Kagome bent down and gathered his food back into the Tupperware. She silently walked over to Inuyasha and pushed it into his chest. He grabbed it from her, and turned his back.

            I've never seen him act this way. Sango thought. It's almost like…

            "So who are you?" Kagome returned to the doorway. Sango took a step back to allow her to exit and she saw Kagome wave to Number Five just before Sango locked the door. 

            "I am Dr. Sango." She said. "I am the one who called your father to come and help me with the very patient you were locked with." Sango turned to Kagome. "Tell me, how'd you get him to act like that? It's almost like he trusts you. More importantly, how'd you get in his room without a key?"

            True, the behavior he was showing was not normal trust for any person, but then again, Number Five wasn't normal at all, was he?

            "Oh that." Kagome waved her hand as if to brush the matter aside. She paused before continuing. "Well I must be getting to the play room now." Kagome scurried off before Sango could yell out a word. 

            "I should follow her." Sango said. 

            "YOOOOOOOOOOO WHOOOOOO!" Came a very familiar voice from down the hallway towards the lobby. 

            Sango turned around and sighed in annoyance. "Miroku, I'm to busy to deal with you right now." 

            "Nuh uh." Miroku shook his head. He was still wearing the ridiculous robes. 

            "Miroku! I told you to take those off!" Sango grabbed Miroku by the ear and began to lug him towards his room. 

            "Ouch! Hey! That hurts! Let go! Wah!" Miroku pouted. 

            "Oh stop being such a baby." Sango opened his door and threw him inside, she quickly shut him in. "Now you stay in there awhile until you learn to listen." She locked the door and started to walk away towards the lobby. 

            "But Sango! Please come back! I'm sooooorry! Please?" Miroku called. 

            Sango ignored his calls and entered the lobby. She had completely forgotten about Kagome.

            "Sango! Hey over here! Guess what I've found!" Mr. Higurashi yelled. He was standing in the doorway all the way to the right, in the complete opposite direction of the playroom. 

            "Higurashi." Sango called and trotted towards him. "What is it?" 

            "It's about Number Five." He said and turned his back to signal to her to follow. 

            "Number Five!" Sango said. Oh great! She thought. I forgot about Kagome! I have to go back!

            "Sango? Are you listening?" Mr. Higurashi turned around. 

            Sango looked at him a moment and then blinked. "Yes!" She said, smiling a fake smile. 

            Mr. Higurashi narrowed his eyes, "Then what did I just say?"

            Sango looked around the hallway as if to find some means of escape. This hallway was different then the patient hallway. This hallway was also filled with doors, but it seemed homier. Many of the doors were open and all were made out of maple. Every door had a metal nameplate nailed to the door. 

            "Sango? You weren't listening…" Mr. Higurashi sighed. "Well come on then, I have to show you something important." He walked into an open door on the left side third from the lobby entrance. The nameplate on the door clearly said, 'Sango'.

            Sango cocked her eyebrow and followed him into the room, "You do realize that this is my office?" she said. 

            He nodded and turned around to face her. "I like it better than mine. It's cleaner." 

            Sango's office had dark blue carpet. She had a mahogany desk with a large swivel chair. A red computer sat on her desk, and that was the only thing on her desk. There was no paper strewn about or garbage. That is what filing cabinets and wastebaskets are for. Mr. Higurashi sat on her desk and swung his legs over the top till they were on the other side. He then hopped down and opened her top drawer. 

            Sango's eyebrow twitched. "Have you been going through my things?" She shut the door. 

            "Only the top draw." He said. He pulled out a folder labeled, 'Number Five, Confidential.' 

            Sango's eyes widened. "Where did you find that?" She ran forward and ripped it from his hands, she skimmed through it a look of astonishment and delight on her face. Mr. Higurashi had a smug look on his face. 

            "Found it." He said. "I hid it in you're office, didn't want Mr. Onigumo to find it. You know how interested he is in Number Five." 

            "Yeah," Sango said. She shut the folder and handed it back to Mr. Higurashi. "It's almost like he knows him. And Number Five always acts more vicious around him."

            "Number Five isn't vicious to begin with!" Mr. Higurashi said.

            Sango remembered Kagome again. "Higurashi, I went to deliver Number Five his lunch today and something peculiar happened."

            "What? Did his eyeballs turn inside out? Did his head turn around in a 360 degree angle?"

            "No, no, no. Nothing like that. You're daughter, Kagome, was it? Well, yes. Kagome was IN his room." 

            "What do you mean? IN his room?" Mr. Higurashi asked. 

            "I mean exactly what it sounds like, in his room." Sango walked around her desk and sat in her chair. Mr. Higurashi slid across the top to the other side. 

            "He didn't attack her?" Mr. Higurashi asked. 

            "She didn't seem to be harmed." Sango took the folder away from him once again. 

            "So he let her be in there with him?" Mr. Higurashi was becoming more and more confused. 

            "Seems that way to me, although he was giving her the most dreadful look when I walked in, but she did not seem frightened." Sango opened the drawer on the left of her desk and pulled out a note pad and a pencil, she started to write.

            "Well that's Kagome for you, strong willed and never afraid." Mr. Higurashi said proudly. 

            "I can tell who she gets it from…"

            "Me." 

            "Her mother." 

            Mr. Higurashi nearly fell over. "That's not very nice." 

            "He almost seemed to trust her." Sango ignored his comment. 

            "Trust?" Mr. Higurashi said. 

            "Yes, you know how whenever we try to hand him the food directly he either backs away or knocks it from our hands."

            "Yes, I know." He nodded. 

            "Well Kagome handed him the food and he took it from her." Sango looked up at Mr. Higurashi. "Without hesitation."

            He rubbed his chin and spoke slowly, "What are you proposing Sango?" 

            She looked at him slyly, "Why Higurashi, what makes you think I'm proposing anything?" 

            He leaned down and pointed at her. "Out with it." 

            "Only this," Sango started. "Let's put Number Five to a test…" 

***************************

            Yeah, end of Chapter three. 

            Next up Chapter Four.

            After That Chapter Five.

            Whoa, that's a surprise. 

            Review?


	4. Play Room, Act 2, Scene 3

Disclaimer: I disclaim the disclaimer.

Unstable

Play Room, Act Two, Scene Three.

            Kagome entered the playroom and was immediately confronted by a young girl. The girl had a single ponytail on the side of her head that held some of her black hair. She wore the normal blue button up shirt and pants. 

            "olleh." The girl said.

            Kagome stared at the girl strangely. What had she said? "Uh, hi?" Kagome offered. 

            The girl smiled and nodded. She grabbed Kagome's hand and led her to a giant couch that sat in the center of the room in front of a wide screen television. Two younger boys were playing video games on it. One had bright red hair that was short and curly. The other had black hair that was slightly long and tied into a ponytail on his head. 

            The girl pointed to the boys and gave Kagome a pleading face. "em tel t'now yeht dna .V.T hctaw 2  tnaw I!" the girl said. 

            Kagome just stared at her unknowingly. 

            "Quiet Rin!" the boy with red hair said. The boy turned and looked at Kagome. "Sorry Miss, the reason you can't understand little Rin here is cause she says everything backwards." 

            "Ton od I!" she screamed. 

            "See what I mean?" the boy shrugged. 

            The other boy laughed slightly. The boy that had been talking to Kagome turned his attention to the television and jumped up. 

            "What! You killed me! That's not fair! Rematch!" 

            "No I won fair and square! You should have been paying attention!" 

            "I paused it!"

            "I unpaused it!" 

            "Loser!"

            "You're the loser!"

            "hsss!" Rin said and stood between the boys. "Gnithgif on!"

            The boys growled at each other but plopped down on the couch and refused to look at one another. The boy that had been talking to Kagome sat nearest where she stood, and he spoke. 

            "Stupid Kohaku, always thinking he can get what he wants…mumble…mumble…freak." 

            "Excuse me?" Kagome said.

            He looked up at her quizzically.

            "Hi, my name's Kagome."

            "Nice to meet you, my name's…" He stopped and looked at her then smiled. "Forgive me, I forgot!"

            "You're such a goob," Kohaku said. "Miss…Kagome was it? Ignore him, he lost his memory and can't remember anything but basic motor skills. And I doubt sometimes if even that much."

            "Hey!" the red head said. 

            Kohaku glared at him, "We just call him Red." 

            "Well…" Kagome said. 

            Rin tugged on the bottom of Kagome skirt. "yalp!" she said. 

            "Uh…Do you mind?" Kagome looked at Kohaku and pointed to Rin. "Translating for me?"

            "Sure no thing Miss Kagome, since Red here's leaving soon to go to a special hospital for the stupid." 

            "It's not for the stupid, Kohaku! (Otherwise you'd be going.) It's for people suffering long term amnesia!" 

            Kohaku glared at Red like he was going to attack, then as if he decided it would be a waste of his time looked at Kagome. "She said play. She wants to put on a play for you." 

            Kagome turned to Rin and smiled. "Of course I would!" 

            "Just to warn you Miss Kagome, she always starts plays off from the end to the beginning." Kohaku said.

            "Even better!" Kagome said, but her eyebrow twitched slightly. 

            "aey!" Rin said and skipped off towards a large cabinet. 

            "Why don't you sit down while we wait for her to gather the stuff. If this play's anything like the last one, we'll be waiting here awhile." 

            "Oh really." I'm surrounded by crazy people. Kagome thought. Well if I am, they all sure don't act like the crazy people I imagine. Except maybe Rin.

            "Why are you here?" Kohaku asked. "What you in for? Did you kill again, plead insane and win?"

            Kagome faltered, "Oh no, nothing like that. Actually I'm just visiting, my Father is a doctor here." 

            "Oh really?" Kohaku didn't seem all to thrilled. 

            "Kohaku you're the goob!" Red said. 

            Kagome and Kohaku stared at him. 

            "Don't tell me you were thinking of a comeback that whole time and that's all you could think off?" Kohaku laughed. "Oh my you really do need to go in a stupid asylum!" 

            "Shut up!" 

            "Make me!" Kohaku stood and showed his fist. 

            "Tomorrow at three o' clock by the vending machines in the lobby!" Red grinned. 

            Kohaku didn't answer. Kagome was surprised because; he seemed like the type to never turn down a fight. Kohaku shook his fist and sat back down. 

            "Just as I thought!" 

            "Be quiet Red, you can't even remember how old you are." 

            "Well at least I always have the same personality!" 

            Kagome looked at Kohaku and then to Red. Does Kohaku have more than one personality? She thought, and he seemed so normal. A Double identity? 

            "So who you gonna be tomorrow Kohaku?" Red titled his head to the side and leaned towards Kohaku. "A girl maybe? How about a flower deliveryman? Isn't it odd how they all have a different variety of the name Kohaku?"

            "Shut up!" Kohaku yelled. "It's not a different variety! It is the same name! And don't you make fun of them! They are as real as I am!" He stood up in a huff and walked from the room. 

            Red scooted to the center of the couch and turned the television on. He had the look on his face like a warrior who had just won a great battle. Rin, who had returned with a box full of stuff, clothes, props and what not, immediately turned off the T. V. Red groaned and rolled his eyes. 

            Kagome looked at Rin. "Which play is it?" She asked. 

            "Klats naeb eht dna kcaj." Rin said. 

            Kagome looked at Red. 

            "She said, 'Jack and the Bean Stalk.' Now sit down and lets get this over with." Red said. 

            Kagome sat at the far end of the couch and watched Rin, waiting for her to begin. 

            "eerht enecs, owt tca." Rin said and pulled an old Golf hat out of the box and put it on her head. 

            "Act Two, Scene Three." Red translated. "In other words, the end." 

~

            He was lying on his back, on the cold, hard floor. He had his arms behind his head. His long silver hair was spread across the floor on either side of his muscular body, which was covered with the hospitals blue uniform. He stared at the ceiling, there wasn't much else to do. He was locked in a room, with absolutely nothing to do. He was bored, very bored. 

            "I can never say they don't give me time to think," he said. He could barely hear his own voice. It sounded like a whisper to him. He figured the only reason he could hear it was because the sound vibrated inside his own head. He learned long ago how to control his voice, how to actually whisper. He knew what the normal level of speaking was and he had trained himself to think that the sound he heard from his mouth was not whispering but a normal tone. 

            "Kagome…" he spoke, testing her name on his lips. He closed his eyes and saw her smiling back at him. Her good-natured smile. She had been unafraid when he had threatened her, and she had cried when she had first laid eyes on him. 

            Inuyasha turned on his side and propped his head on his elbow. "Why had she cried?" he thought out loud. He always thought out loud when he was alone; he liked the sound of his voice. "Was it pity…?" He shook his head, "Maybe, but there was something more…I saw it…WHAT WAS IT?" he yelled. 

            He sat up and crossed his arms. He took in a sharp sigh and looked at the toilet. "She did not cry when she wasn't looking at me…wait, that's not true…she cried when…" Inuyasha racked his brain trying to figure out why Kagome had been crying. "When, she looked into my eyes."

            "WHAT?!" he heard a female voice yell, and it could only belong to one person. 

He stood up and ran to the door, he looked out the small window and saw Kagome and some man standing in the hallway. "Her father…" he said. 

            "So, am I going to have to stay here all night?" He heard Kagome say. 

            He saw Mr. Higurashi's mouth move. Then he saw him fumble in his pocket and pull out a key. Then he walked to a room next to Inuyasha's. The angle was to sharp and Inuyasha could no longer see them out his window. 

            "It will do." Inuyasha heard Kagome speak again. 

            What will do? He thought, is she a patient, no…that is her father and I'm sure if she was a patient he'd home treat her, so then what is going on!

            "Wait Dad!" Kagome yelled. There was a short pause. 

"I'm starving, I haven't eaten since this morning." He heard Kagome talk. He immediately focused on her voice, trying to figure out the other person's words. There was a longer pause this time and Inuyasha wasn't sure if the conversation was over or not.

"Okay thanks Dad! See you later!" Kagome said. 

Now it's over, Inuyasha thought. 

Inuyasha stood by the door until he was sure the conversation WAS over. He knew Kagome was in the room next to him, he could hear her breathing. He stared at the wall, more like glared. 

"We will see each other again Inuyasha." She whispered, but Inuyasha heard her. His ears perked up and he ran to the wall and stopped directly in front of it and he dared not touch it. 

He smiled happily, "It seems fate just won't let me be." 

******************************

            Rin talks backwards, sdrawkcab sklat niR. But she can understand normal talking. 

            Red is not important, he will not appear again. 

            Thank you.

            Review please.


	5. Graveyard Shift

Disclaimer: I own the Inuyasha characters as much as I own a car. 

Unstable

Graveyard Shift

            Rin had started to put on her fifth play. Kagome had fallen asleep sometime during the third. Red had left to go to the other hospital during the second play. So Kagome could not understand a word Rin said. Kohaku had come to join them during the forth play but had turned around and walked quickly away when he saw Rin putting on a play. Rin made a loud smashing sound and Kagome sat straight up. 

            Kagome looked around and remembered where she was and slumped back down into the couch. 

            It must be late, Kagome thought. There's only one other person in here besides Rin and me and she doesn't seem too talkative. 

            In the far corner playing chess was an old woman. She was staring at the chest board waiting for the other player to make a move. The odd thing was, there was no other player. But If Kagome looked away and then looked back, it would be the woman's turn. Odd. It was like someone was playing with her…or she was really fast and could sneak to the other side of the table in less than three seconds. 

            "Emogak!" Rin said. 

            Kagome turned and smiled at Rin. What had she said? Emokiaghe? 

            Rin stomped her foot and shook her head. 

            "Kagome!" Mr. Higurashi called. 

            Kagome popped out of her seat, "Bye Rin, got to go." She ran towards her dad and hugged him in relief; he was standing just in the doorway to the playroom. 

            "Kagome, I'm going to have to pull an all nighter." He said. 

            "WHAT!?" Kagome screamed. 

            Mr. Higurashi tried to shush her and pulled her into the hallway that was filled with the patients' rooms. They just happened to stop near Inuyasha's door. Kagome numbly noted this before she glared at her father. 

            "Sorry Kagome." Her father put his hand on her shoulder. 

            "So, am I going to have to stay here all night?" Kagome asked. 

            "Kikyo has already made you a room." Mr. Higurashi fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a bronze key. He walked towards Inuyasha's room and unlocked the door to the right of it. "I know it's not much, but I wanted you to be in my hallway and not some other doctors. And this is the only empty room." 

            He pushed it open and Kagome looked inside. It was much nicer that Inuyasha's room. It was carpeted and there was a shower and a toilet that had a curtain you could pull to enclose yourself. The bed was queen size and by the looks of it, it had the most comfortable blankets in the world. 

            "It will do." Kagome said, and then kissed her dad on the cheek. 

            "I'm glad." He handed her the key. "Now this one locks automatically, but there is a lock on both sides, so try not to lose the key. But if you do, I have a spare and I will come wake you in the morning." He started to walk down the hallway.

            "Wait Dad!" Kagome called. 

            "What darling, I've got to get back to work." 

            "I'm starving, I haven't eaten since this morning." Kagome held her stomach. She could just feel the acid eating away at its walls. 

            "In the kitchen, just ask the receptionist."

            "Okay thanks Dad! See you later!"

            "Bye sweetie." He said. Odd, he thought, she doesn't seem upset at all to be spending the night in an asylum. Perhaps Sango is right, and this plan will work. I just hope Kagome doesn't get upset when she figures it out. 

            He turned around and gave her a quick loving smile before leaving. 

            Kagome entered her room and took a deep breath in. It smelt wonderful. She fell on her back onto the fluffy blankets on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She looked to her left. 

            That's Inuyasha's room, she thought. How can he sleep in there? I bet he gets bored. Locked up all day. Lord knows I would, no wonder Sango and Dad are having problems with him. Maybe I'll stop by later. 

            Her eyes softened and she spoke softly, "We will see each other again Inuyasha."

            Kagome heard her stomach growl.

            Right after I get some dinner. She thought. She bounced up and headed towards the lobby. She was nearly to the door when a voice floated to her ears. 

            "Hello? Anyone out there?" Miroku groaned. He was leaning against his door, still calling out from earlier. "Hello." His voice was soft and it sounded hopeless. 

            "Miroku?" Kagome said. She looked through the window above the clipboard but only saw the far wall of his room. 

            "Lady Kagome?" She heard. Two big brown eyes appeared on the other side of the window and Kagome jumped back and held her chest. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" she yelled. 

            "Sorry, Lady Kagome." His eyes did not move from the window. "Do you think you could be so kind as to open the door? Lady Sango locked me in here, and I do not know what for." He gave her the puppy dog eyes. 

            "I can only guess." Kagome said. She seemed to think and then shook her head, "I don't know if I should…"

            "Oh please you must! You can only imagine how boring it is being locked up all day." 

            Kagome thought of Inuyasha and how he only saw that one meal a day… "Alright," she said. "How?" 

            "Uh…you wouldn't happen to have a key would you?" Miroku asked. 

            "I have this key." Kagome held up the key her father had given her earlier.

            Miroku's eyes widened. "Why, that's a skeleton key, I can tell cause it's silver and not gray like the others."

            Kagome looked at the key closer and she said bitterly, "Would the fact that there's a little happy face skeleton painted on it have anything to do with it?" 

            Miroku smiled nervously, "Why yes, now please, Lady Kagome, open this door." 

            Kagome narrowed her eyes, "Your not like, naked or anything." 

            "No, but now that you mention it…"

            "Stop, hold that thought, I'm unlocking the door." Kagome ran to the door and shoved the key in the lock, perfect fit. 

            Click. Unlocked. 

            Kagome turned the handle and pushed the door open, it swung into Miroku's room and Miroku caught it before it hit the wall. He had finally changed out of the robes and into the asylums blue button up shirt and jaw string pants. 

            "How do I look?" He turned from side to side, showing off his body like a model. 

            "Just dandy." Kagome said. 

            "Dandy? That's all?" He frowned but seemed unfazed, he hopped out of his room and into the hallway. "Well where to my sex slave." Miroku held his arm out for Kagome to take.

            "Sex slave?" her eyebrow twitched. "I don't think so." 

            "Sweet lover?" Miroku asked. 

            "Nope," Kagome clenched her fists. 

            "Monkey spanker…"

            Kagome shook her head violently. 

            "Uh…" Miroku backed away slightly in fear. "Kinky…"

            Kagome pulled her hand back and slapped Miroku across the face. 

            He sat on the floor holding the side of his head and pouted, "Some arm you got there." 

            Kagome sighed and walked past him. 

            "Wait a second there Lady Kagome! Where you going! Take me with you!" He stumbled slightly standing up and decided to just crawl, so he crawled on the floor till he reached the lobby door all the while calling out to her. 

            "Miroku, get off the floor you're getting it dirty." Kikyo said. She was standing next to Kagome just on the other side of the door. 

            "Yes Lady Kikyo!" He stood up and tried to stand as straight as possible. Kikyo rolled her eyes. 

            "Now what was it that you needed Kagome?" She turned to the sweet girl. 

            "Oh yes, where's the kitchen?" Kagome held her stomach. "I'm starving." 

            "Just through that door…"

            "I'll take her!" Miroku was still rooted to his extremely straight position. 

            "I'm sure your capable to, the question is do we want you to?" Kikyo mocked. 

            "Har, Har." Miroku pretended to laugh; he slouched back into his normal standing position. "Kikyo the comedian." 

            "Next show at Midnight." Kikyo winked. 

            Miroku blinked, "Now that's what I'm talking about." He walked forward and reached for Kikyo. 

            "Boys." Kikyo said. She grabbed Miroku's wrist spun him around and held him in an arm lock. Miroku grunted in pain. Kagome only watched with a look of satisfaction on her face. 

            "Now be a good little insane boy and take Kagome nicely to the Kitchen for a meal, that's a good boy." She released Miroku, nodded at agreeing in her own handy work, and returned to the reception desk. 

            Miroku shivered and brushed his hand through his hair, "Truth is," he whispered to Kagome. "Whenever she touches me, I get this weird vibe, it almost feels evil…if evil even has a feeling. I hate touching her…"

            Kagome froze. Is that what I had felt when I had shook hands with her earlier? She thought. It was a strange sensation, but evil? That's a strong word. Besides, it's just an opinion. Some people would call Inuyasha evil. 

            "Lady Kagome, I can hear your stomach, and I am sure the astronauts in space hear it as well." Miroku started to walk. "Lets silence your hunger beast." 

            Hunger beast? Kagome thought. He has got to be kidding me. 

****************************

            I literally fainted when I saw all the reviews I got for chapter four. I had to be revived. 

Thank you all for reviewing and here is some answers to some questions and some other stuff.

            **Shadowandhawk**: I am glad I was able to brighten your day.

            **TetsuoTsubushi**: Yes well there is a reason for that…hehehe.

            **CiCi**: No Red is not Shippo, sorry. I have something already planned for Shippo.

            **Blue Dreamer2**: Thanks.

            **Ghoul King and Female Necromancer**: Yes, Inuyasha still does have his ears, there are two very good reasons for this, the first one, I cannot tell you. The second, I don't like to change the appearance or age of the characters from the originals, I do sometimes, but rarely. Very rarely.

            **Indygodusk**: Yes Miroku is lacking in the authority department…there is a reason for this, but that you will learn as the story progresses. 

            **Kokoro**: Wonderful poem, I hope to receive more. (ch.3)

            I wish I could put everyone's name down here, but I can't. Thanks again for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

            Review?


	6. Midnight Snack

Disclaimer: Do I really need this anymore?

Unstable

Midnight Snack

            "Miroku," Kagome said, "If you try to touch my butt one more time…" She shook her fist, "I'm gonna give you a knuckle sandwich." '

            "Funny, food humor." Miroku said, backing away from Kagome. 

            They had gone into the door third from the left of the Lobby. They immediately entered a gigantic Kitchen of stainless steel. Every surface was shiny and clean. Pots and pans hung from hooks on the wall. There was a huge door near the far wall that had assorted magnets all over it. The magnets were holding up pictures of children, young and old. Kagome started to look at all the pictures and one jumped out at her. 

            She pointed to it and spoke to Miroku, "Hey! This is me when I was eight!" She pulled the picture off the fridge and handed it to Miroku. 

            "Yes, it is obvious that you were to grow up into this beauty you are today." He complimented. 

            Kagome glared at him, "Flattery will only get you one place Miroku…"

            "A room in a motel?"

            "No!" Kagome took the picture from him and placed it back on the fridge. "A room in the hospital from being beaten into a bloody pulp by a teenage girl."

            "If that's the case, does this teenage girl happen to be beating me while she's naked?"

            "NO!" Kagome yelled and shoved Miroku away. 

            Miroku smiled playfully and allowed her to push him. 

            She examined the rest of the pictures on the fridge, they appeared to be pictures of children, parents, boyfriends or girlfriends. 

"Everyone puts the one they love here," Miroku said, pointing to the fridge. "Even the patients. This one…" He removed an old looking photograph that was of a young man sitting in a chair with a very young boy, no older than three, sitting in his lap. "Is of me and my father, before he died." Miroku lovingly placed the picture back on the fridge. 

Kagome stared at it fondly and thought, Miroku's not such a bad guy. He had to go through heartaches just like everyone else in this world. I hope one day he will show someone his true self, and not this perverted mask he hides behind. 

She opened the fridge and her mouth dropped open in amazement at all the food that was inside. Miroku leaned next to Kagome and pushed her mouth closed. 

            "Lady Kagome, are you trying to catch flies?" 

            "Excuse me?" a male voice said. 

            Kagome spun around and knocked Miroku away from her all at the same time. 

            An old man was standing just inside the doorway and his appearance struck Kagome as very intimidating. He wore a brown suit and tie. He had long silver hair that was tied back in a small tie. 

            "Yes?" Kagome said as sweetly as she could manage. 

            "Getting a midnight snack? Me too." He walked towards her and made for the fridge. Kagome politely stepped out of his way. He reached down into the fridge and pulled out a large cooked turkey. 

Kagome's eyes widened. She hadn't seen that huge thing in there, where had it come from?

Miroku looked slightly annoyed when he spoke, "What are you doing here?"

The man looked at him and seemed to decide that looking at Miroku was not worth his time. "You will address me as Mr. Sesshomaru." He said. 

            Miroku grabbed Kagome's wrist and started to pull her to the exit. She resisted slightly. "Come on Kagome, lets get out of here." 

            "But I'm hungry." 

            "Yes, Monk, let the girl eat, I can hear her stomach growling." He grabbed a knife off the counter and cut a slab of meat from the turkey, he then handed it to Kagome. "It's better cold." 

            "You're just doing this to annoy me!" Miroku said as Kagome swallowed the meat whole.

            "Why, yes I am." Sesshomaru said. 

            "Jerk."

            "I will not stoop so low as to call you names, Monk." Sesshomaru said. "I would rather offend you on a much higher level." Sesshomaru placed the turkey back in the fridge and shut the door. He seemed to pause for a moment, looking at the closed door before leaving. He didn't even say goodbye or look back on his way out. 

            "What was he looking at?" Kagome asked and she surveyed the fridge trying to find the picture he had looked at so lovingly. 

            "What are you talking about?" Miroku nearly growled and opened one of the cabinets near the fridge.

            "This." Kagome saw the picture that had been eye level with Sesshomaru's height. She removed it, with much stretching and standing on tippy toes, and looked at it. "Wow, I would never have guessed."

            "What are you talking about!?" Miroku repeated as he removed a bag of potato chips. 

            Kagome held the picture out to him and he looked at it unknowingly. Kagome sighed and placed the picture back on the fridge. "It's the person he loves Miroku." 

            "Oh…OH!" Miroku said realizing what she meant. "Oh…"

            "Yeah…oh." Kagome reached into his bag of potato chips and shoved several in her mouth. 

            Miroku handed her the bag and opened the fridge again and handed her a prepackaged peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a can of coke. "Here," he said. "I need to go and see someone. This should tie you over till morning." 

            Kagome smiled and nodded. "Thanks Miroku, your not so bad." She left the kitchen and Miroku remained. 

            He stared at the picture Kagome had pointed out to him. He took a deep sigh and brushed his hand through his hair. "Nothing is as what it seems, Lady Kagome. Nothing." He turned and left the kitchen, leaving behind the picture of him and his father, which is his picture; Kagome's father's picture of her as a young girl; and Sesshomaru's picture…a picture of Rin.

~

            "Plan XX is under way Step One has been completed." Mr. Higurashi stood in the doorway to Sango's office. Sango was sitting at her desk typing diligently on her computer. 

            "Good, but Higurashi, don't act like some spy." She stopped typing and looked at him. 

            "Okay." He walked into her room and shut the door. 

            "So, Kagome is sleeping in the room next to his?"

            "Yes. I had Kikyo put the most comfortable sheets and other things in there."

            "Good. She bought your lie about having to make an all nigher?" Sango asked. 

            "She did, all to readily. Sango, I hate lying to Kagome."

            "Yes, yes, I know. But you must understand this is for the sake of science."

            "Science…no this is for Number Five…I wonder what his real name is?" Mr. Higurashi asked. 

            "Perhaps Kagome will be able to tell us in due time. That is, if my plan does not fail."

            "I hope it doesn't Sango…" Mr. Higurashi paused and started to stare about Sango's room. "For Number Five's sake."

            Sango nodded and looked at her watch. She quickly stood and ran around to the front of her desk. "You need you to go now."

            Mr. Higurashi looked at her puzzled. "Why?" 

            "Uh…um…cause…um…Dr. Sesshomaru wants you…yeah that's it." Sango started to push him out the door.

            "If he wanted me he would have paged."

            "Oh, yeah, your pager's broke…check it." He was now standing in the hall and Sango stood holding her door.

            Mr. Higurashi removed his pager and looked at it. "It doesn't appear to be…"

            "It is." Sango interrupted. "Go check it." And with that she slammed the door on his face.

            "So rude." Mr. Higurashi muttered.

            "Higurashi!" Sesshomaru yelled coming down the hall towards him. 

            "Hey." Mr. Higurashi waved. 

            "I've been meaning to speak to you." 

            Mr. Higurashi was surprised. "Really? Well I be a monkies-"

            "Spare me your humor Higurashi, this is important." Sesshomaru said. He started to walk down the hallway. His silver hair bounced lightly as he walked towards his office.

            Mr. Higurashi started to follow him and said under his breath, "When is it not important when it comes to you?" 

            "Very funny." Sesshomaru said. He stopped walking and opened his office door. The name plate clearly read, 'Fluffy.' It was colored in crayon and a small signature was at the bottom right hand corner that spelled, Rin.

            "What do you need?" Mr. Higurashi asked after he firmly shut the office door behind him. Sesshomaru's office was much bigger than his own and Sango's. There was a window over looking another building across the street. The building was the gym for the institute. Sesshomaru's office was bigger because he was higher up on the chain than Sango and Mr. Higurashi. Sesshomaru never actually dealt with the patients. He dug up the backgrounds and decided with the doctors (from the reports) if the patient needed different treatment, or was ready to be released. 

            "It's about your daughter." Sesshomaru said. 

            "What about her?" Mr. Higurashi took it upon himself to pick up one of the many odd figurines that sat on the shelves and toss it lightly in the air before catching it again. He was on his third throw when Sesshomaru caught it before he did. Sesshomaru put the odd figure back on the shelf. 

            "Please keep your hands to yourself, Higurashi." He said, practically glaring at Mr. Higurashi. 

            "Okay, okay." Mr. Higurashi said. Sesshomaru walked to his desk and sat behind it. He typed on the keyboard and looked at the computer screen. 

            "Now, your trying to see if she will make 'Number Five' talk, or make any kind of progress. Am I correct?" Sesshomaru refrained from typing and leaned forward slightly in his chair. Mr. Higurashi knew this position. It was the position used when you wanted to intimidate an answer out of a person. And boy Sesshomaru could work it good. 

            "Sorda." Mr. Higurashi said. He took a seat in the cushion chair in front of the desk. 

            "Sorda? What does Sorda mean? You either are or you aren't. There is no in-between." Sesshomaru sat up and leaned back in his chair. 

            "I'm not at liberty to discuss it with you at this moment." Mr. Higurashi said. 

            "My, my, so you can sound professional." 

            "Only when I want." Mr. Higurashi assured him. 

            Sesshomaru seemed to be slightly amused. "I am not sure if this plan of yours is such a good idea." 

            "What plan?" Mr. Higurashi pretended to act oblivious. 

            "I see. Well hypothetically speaking, if you did have a plan, it would not be a good idea." Sesshomaru said. 

            "Hypothetically speaking," Mr. Higurashi said. "If there were a plan, which there isn't!" Mr. Higurashi added quickly. Sesshomaru nodded. "What would be wrong with it?"

            "Well, since there is no plan you don't have to worry about it, now, do you?" Sesshomaru said slyly. 

            Mr. Higurashi groaned. 

            "But," Sesshomaru said. "Hypothetically I believe you would get more progress from 'Number Five' if you put him in a viewing room with Kagome, and had her question him." 

            Mr. Higurashi and leaned forward very intrigued. 

            "And," Sesshomaru continued, "Afterwards, isolate him…with her." 

            "WHAT!" Mr. Higurashi yelled. "You want me to lock my daughter up with him?!" 

            "It was only a suggestion. And besides, there is no plan."

            Mr. Higurashi made an odd objecting sound and slammed his fist down on the desk. "I'll go talk it over with Sango, and I'll report back to you." He walked quickly from the office, leaving the door open. 

            Sesshomaru frowned. "Why can't he close the door when he leaves? Was he raised in a barn?" 

~

            "Good night Miroku!" Kagome called as she walked away from him. He entered his room waving to her, a large smile on his face. Kagome hummed lightly to herself as she continued to walk the remaining distance to her room, alone. She stopped in front of a door and looked to the door next to it. She took a giant step over and stood in front of it. She adjusted the bag of chips and two soda cans that she was carrying and pulled out the skeleton key. She pushed it into the lock. 

            It fit. She turned it, and she heard the familiar click that signaled the door was unlocked. She turned the handle and walked into her own room. She placed the soda and chips on the bed and sat next to them. She stared out her open door. 

            "Should I go?" she asked out loud.

~

            Sango's head was down on her desk. Her breathing was even and calm. She was sleeping. A large buzzing noise awoke her. 

            'What time is it?' she thought. She jerked her head up and removed the sheet of paper that had plastered itself to her forehead in her slumber. She looked at her wrist watch. 

            3: 41. 

            It had been nearly three hours since Mr. Higurashi had barged in with the odd story of Sesshomaru. And still then she had pushed him out in a hurry. She had been waiting. She had been waiting, for that buzzing sound. She stretched and yawned. She ruffled her hair slightly and pushed her chair back from her desk. She sat for a moment with out moving trying to mentally wake up.

            "Okay." Sango said. "Let's go kick his ass for being late." She stood up and walked out her office door, closing it and locking it behind her. The buzzing noise had been a patient pushing the 'patient emergency button'. It only went to her office and she usually came running when she heard it, but not this time, this time she knew who had pushed it. 

            She walked past the lobby where Kikyo no longer lingered. The night receptionist now dozed quietly in the desk. She walked into the first door on the left and continued to walk all the way to the end of the hallway. She was on a mission. 

            "Dr. Sango?" she heard a female call. 

            'Oh no, I'm never going to get there.' Sango thought. Sango stopped walking and realized that Kagome's door was open and she was sitting on her bed. She appeared to be under stress of some kind. 

            "What's wrong Kagome?" Sango said. She entered the teenager's room. 

            Kagome looked wearily towards the wall, where just on the other side, Inuyasha lingered. 

            "I'm unable to sleep." She said. 

            "Oh, you don't need to be scared, they can't get to you." Sango said. 

            "It's not that." Kagome added quickly. "It's well…you promise not to tell my dad?" 

            "Depends on what it is." Sango said. She walked over to Kagome and sat on the bed next to her. 

            "Well," Kagome avoided eye contact with Sango. "I want to visit Inuyasha." She whispered. 

            "Who?" Sango asked. 

            "I mean, 'Number Five.'" Kagome said. And she quickly added, "When I was locked in with him earlier today…"

            "Oh yes, I remember." Sango said, forgetting for the time being about Kagome saying Inuyasha. 

            "It was like…I've known him forever…um." Kagome seemed frustrated. "Perhaps those are not the right words. I don't know. There is no way to put it."

            "What are you trying to decide?"

            Kagome looked at Sango. Sango's face was comforting and made Kagome think of her as the older sister she never had. Kagome decided to rephrase her question. 

            "There's this boy at my school." Kagome lied. She was talking about Inuyasha. 

            Sango nodded. 

            "And he is always rude to me, but yet I find myself wanting to be…" Kagome dug in her mind for the right word.

            "With him?" Sango offered. Kagome shook her head. "Near him?" 

            "YES!" Kagome said. "Near him. Not necessarily with, just…near."

            "And he's always rude to you." Sango said. 

            "Yeah…but I can see in his eyes, something deeper, something wanting to be released. It's almost like he's crying out for help." Kagome said. 

            "I see." Sango said. "You could be a very good shrink."

            Kagome smiled and giggled Sango's remark off. "What should I do? Should I go to him? Or should I leave him alone…forever." 

            "The logical thing to do, would be to leave him alone forever." Sango said. Kagome looked at her sadly. "But if it were me, I'd go to him, and try to find the secret that he's hiding." Sango smiled. 

            Kagome returned her smile and nodded. "Thanks Sango, you're a big help. I'll never forget this."

            "No problem." Sango said. She stood up and stood outside Kagome's door. She nodded to herself as she spoke, "It was fun." She walked away leaving Kagome feeling much better. 

            Sango ran the rest of the way down the hallway to the playroom. She burst in the doors and the person sleeping on the couch woke with a start. Kohaku sat straight up and looked at Sango. Sango joined him on the couch. 

            "Sorry," she said. 

            Kohaku didn't say anything he just sighed heavily and started ahead. 

            "Why did you call me so late? I thought we were supposed to meet earlier, brother?" Sango asked. 

            Kohaku looked at her sadly. 

            "What's wrong?" Sango said. She repositioned herself on the couch so she was facing him slightly. 

            "Whose Kohaku?" he asked. 

            A cold chill ran through Sango, "Excuse me?"

            "I'm sorry," the nameless boy said. "I didn't mean to offend you, I just want to know why you keep calling me Kohaku." 

            It's finally happened. Sango thought. His other personalities have taken over his body, no telling what his personality will be tomorrow…

            "My name's Kora." He said. 

            "Kora?" Sango replied. She stared at him and he only nodded to her. Kora…was that a girl or a boy name. Had the little girl finally chosen her own name? Or perhaps it was the flower boy…

            "Kora is the girl." The old woman who always sat in the far corner of the playroom playing chess with herself spoke. 

            Sango stood up and turned to the woman. Kohaku, Kora, remained seated. 

            "What are you saying?" Sango asked. 

            "Your brother's personalities have finally over taken him. They have all decided that they want their own name." The old woman said. She picked up the black bishop and knocked over a white pawn. 

            Sango turned to Kohaku and found his face glaring at her. That was not her Kohaku. 

            "So the old woman's smarter than she looks." Kora said. Sango backed away from him/her. "I see, well would you like to meet the rest of the gang? Bob is the wussy who sells the flowers, and Luce, is the dangerous boy who loves to fight. Oh, and Kohaku's here too…somewhere." She grinned evilly. 

            Sango stumbled as she back away. 

            "SANGO!" Came a desperate yet sweeter voice from the mouth of Kora. 

            "Shut up you fool, Kohaku." Kora said. 

            "Kora…" the old woman said. "You should me ashamed of yourself." The woman stood and walked towards Kora. "Can Kohaku come out to play?" she asked nicely. 

            Kora seemed to hiss, then close her eyes. Her/his arms dropped to the side and her/his head flopped on to the shoulder. His head lifted and the eyes opened. They were soft and gently eyes. Innocent eyes. 

            "Kohaku!" Sango gasped. She ran to her brother and embraced him. He seemed slightly disoriented. 

            "It is just as I thought." The old woman said. 

            "I'm sorry," Sango released Kohaku and turned to the woman. "What's your name?"

            "Kaede." She said. "I'm one of Dr. Higurashi's patients."

 *************

Finally chapter six is here.

**Kokoro: **Thanks for the wonderful poem.

**ShadowandHawk: **Okay, I cannot tell you if Miroku really has his wind tunnel or not. Yes, Shippo will be in this story. And Kikyo may or may not be evil, it is really all based on opinion.

**Nini4: **I hope this chapter answered one of your questions. I'm not sure about Jaken, but yes Naraku is in this story. Actually, he has already been mentioned…

**Ghoul King, Female Necromancer, and all the other Necromancers: **Leave a little part of that universe for me…

**Ladykaa28: ** I'll just come right out and tell you cause you probably can already tell…yes. 

**Amelle: ** Yes, yes it was fun to faint.

**Silver Dragon 2488: **Yes, I know Kikyo does seem a lot nicer doesn't she…I like that better too. And I will say it again cause I don't mind…Yes Naraku will be in this story and if you can't already tell so is Sesshomaru. ^_^

Like I always say, I can't put everyone's name…

Review?


	7. Secrets Revealed

Unstable

Secrets Revealed

            Inuyasha's ear twitched as he lay silently on the cold floor in his 'cell'. His eyes were closed and a light slumber had passed over him. He was dreaming. 

            He was young. Not much younger by looks, but younger by years. He saw someone who resembled him slightly. He had the same silver hair and golden eyes. But he was wearing an odd kimono and had a fuzzy object over his shoulder. He spoke:

            "Brother, I have finally discovered where father's legendary sword is hidden." Sesshomaru spoke. Both were standing near a hideous lake. 

            "What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked angrily. 

            "It seems it was put there without your knowledge." Sesshomaru rushed forward suddenly and grabbed Inuyasha around his throat. He reached up with his other hand and yellow sparks sprang from it into Inuyasha's right eye. 

            Inuyasha screamed in pain and in frustration at not being able to stop his brother. A small black pearl emerged from his eye and Sesshomaru released him. Inuyasha fell to the ground. He covered his right eye with his hand and glared at Sesshomaru. 

            A green toad appeared and slammed a two face staff down on the pearl. "The old woman is laughing that means the portal will open."

            "Portal?" Inuyasha said softly. "What is going on?" 

            Inuyasha sat up quickly and found he was not in the woods near a lake but lying in the center of his plain room. "Memories from the past." He said softly, he did not even hear himself speak. There was a load knock on the door and Inuyasha was not sure if that was what had roused him. 

            He stood and made his way to the door, peering through the small window.

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha could tell from her voice that she was apprehensive. He wondered what time it was. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again, a little louder this time. 

            "Humph…" Inuyasha attempted to gather her attention to let her know she could enter. 

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome said after she heard the odd noise, "Is that you? Can I come in?"

            "Whatever." Inuyasha said and stepped back from the door. 

            He did not hear the door unlock or the squeak of the door as it opened, but he heard Kagome breathing. "I wasn't sure," She said as she shut the unlocked door behind her. "If you would have allowed me to enter, I mean after what happened…"

            "Feh." Inuyasha said and crossed his arms. Then he noticed the two soda cans and the bag of chips Kagome was carrying. 

            "Hungry?" She said noticing his stare. 

            "Maybe." Inuyasha said. 

            "Here." Kagome walked over to him and shoved the drink and chips into his arms. He grabbed them awkwardly from her. He looked at her a moment, unsure if she was for real, then Kagome nodded and he dug into the bug like a ravage beast. 

            "Wha, rime ris rit?" He asked with a mouth full of food. 

            "Uh, I think it's about five in the morning, perhaps earlier." Kagome sat down on the floor and Inuyasha instinctively sat in front of her. "How long have they had you locked up here, Inuyasha?" Kagome found herself searching for his glance to enable her to tell what he was feeling. Surprisingly she caught his eye and tears did not swell up in her own. 

            "Depends on how long I was blacked out for." Inuyasha said. "But I suppose a very long time, I just recently woke up."

            Kagome stared at him. "Do you have a picture of someone you love on the fridge?" 

            Inuyasha stopped eating and stared at his feet. Several moments went by before he spoke. "I have no one to love." 

            "Nonsense." Kagome said immediately surprising Inuyasha. "There must be someone, even if you don't have a picture of them." 

            Inuyasha looked up and locked gazes with Kagome. Her eyes widened slightly as if he had revealed something to her just by looking at her. He turned away. "I'm sure they're no longer alive." 

            "Ah ha! So there is someone!" Kagome said triumphantly. Inuyasha looked at her, almost glaring. Kagome's smile faded. 

            "I suppose," he continued. "I loved my mother." He said. 

            A warm smile came across Kagome's face. "Inuyasha, I have to ask you something…"

            "What?" he said rudely. 

            "Why do you have dog ears?"

            Inuyasha stood and dropped both the can of soda and the chips. He turned his back to Kagome and walked towards the sink. He rested both his hands on it and his head dropped slightly. He allowed his hair to fall into the dirty sink. "Get out." He said softly. 

            Kagome flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

            "GET OUT!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome took a step back and coward in fear. Inuyasha turned his head slightly and looked at her. "What business of yours is it?" He said. 

            Kagome clenched her fists at her sides and yelled, "What sort of question is that? It must be a lot of my business if I'm the only one that can hear you!" 

            Inuyasha stood up and pointed an angry finger at her, "Can't you just leave me alone! I don't need anyone!"

            "Oh I can see that. Your doing dandy on your own, what a lovely place you have here. I just love the rotting sink and the smelly toilet it really brings out the nastiness of the place!" Kagome yelled back. 

            Inuyasha was fuming mad, he had never been yelled at by another person before, most either sedated him or ran in fear. Kagome fought back. Inuyasha straightened up and turned his head away from Kagome. "Stupid girl." He said. 

            Kagome tried not to hit him out of anger. He's in an insane asylum. She told herself. You don't hit crazy people, though it's rather tempting with him. 

            There was a knock on the door and Kagome turned to look at it. Inuyasha looked at it also, responding from her movement. 

            The door opened and a man wearing blue sweat pants and a nurse's shirt stood in the doorway. There was a patch on the shirt with a single word. STAFF. He walked into the room and nodded politely to Kagome. 

            "Hello Miss." He said. Two other men entered the room with him. They all wore the same outfits. "My name is Koga," he said. He took Kagome's hand and kissed it. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Your father told us you might be here." 

            Kagome was to flabbergasted to respond. 

            The other two men walked up to Inuyasha. Inuyasha nearly growled at them. "Come now Number Five." One of them said. "You've brought this upon yourself." 

            Koga turned from Kagome, but not before giving her a quick smile. He walked over Inuyasha. 

            "What's going on?" Kagome finally asked. 

            "It's time for his treatment," Koga said without turning around. 

            Inuyasha made eye contact with Kagome for a split second before turning his attention back to Koga and the other two. 

            **Fear. **Kagome saw it in his eyes. For that split second she had seen it. But it hadn't been for himself; it had been fear for her. 

            'Why?' Kagome thought, 'Why is he scared for me…what is going to happen?'

            The two men with Koga grabbed Inuyasha's arms. He immediately started to struggle out of their grasp. Kagome took a step forward trying to help. Inuyasha grunted and moved forward towards her, making her back away. The two men pulled him back. 

            "Feisty today, are we?" Koga said. "That's just going to get you time in the time out room." 

            Koga nodded and the two men started to drag Inuyasha out of his room. Kagome moved away and watched them have to kick him through the door to stop him from putting his feet on either side of the doorframe. 

            Kagome grabbed Koga's sleeve, "What is going on, where are you taking him?" she asked. 

            Koga gently took her hand in his, "His daily treatment." Koga said. "You are welcome to come and watch if you like." 

            Kagome heard some more grunts from down the hall where Inuyasha and the two men were. Then there was a loud bang against the wall and Kagome saw a streak of white run past the door, towards the playroom. 

            "Dammit." Koga said. He ran into the hallway and saw his two men getting up from the ground and rubbing their heads. "You idiots get up and get him, don't let him escape." The two men got up and shakily ran past Koga and Kagome; who was not standing next to him. "Kagome," Koga addressed her, "Please go and find Dr. Sango." 

            Kagome nodded. 

            Koga smiled at her and took off down the hall towards Inuyasha. 

~

            Sango sat with her brother in one of the private treatment rooms. There were toys laying around and there was a small table in the middle of the room, only three inches or so high. There were no chairs. Sango sat on one side of the table while Kohaku sat on the other. He stared at the ground. 

            "Kohaku, it's not your fault." Sango said. There was an empty container of pills on the table in between them. Kohako's head slumped a little lower and his bangs hid his eyes. Sango sighed and stood up. She walked to the door. 

            Just before her hand turned the door handle Kohaku spoke, "I'm sorry."

            "For what?" Sango said as tears came to her eyes. 

            "I'm sorry I don't know who you are." 

            Sango ran through the door barely hearing the end of his sentence. She ran as fast as she could and burst out into the lobby. Sango collapsed on her knees and covered her face with one of her hands. 

            "Sango." Kikyo quickly made her way towards the emotional doctor. "Sango, what's wrong?" 

            Sango did not look up at Kikyo, "He no longer has multiple personalities…but…but…"

            "He no longer has his memory." Dr. Higurashi said as he appeared before the girls. 

            "Dad!" Kagome walked out from behind a door. "Number Five's gotten loose." 

            "Not again." He said. 

            "I'll do it." Sango said. She slowly stood up. 

            "No, it's okay Sango, I can do it." Dr. Higurashi said. 

            "Do what…what are you going to do?" Kagome asked nervously.

            Dr. Higurashi walked over to his daughter and put a caring hand on her shoulder. "Kikyo, please call Sango a taxi so she can go home." 

            "Yes sir." 

            "Wait, I don't need one…I can…I can…" Sango fell into Kikyo huffing and puffing hard. 

            "She hasn't had any sleep in a while. She'll be fine, now please Kikyo," Dr. Higurashi said as he pulled his daughter through the door in which she had exited. On there way through the door they passed an oddly dress Miroku. "I see you have the robs again Miroku." Dr. Higurashi said. 

            "Yup." Miroku said happily, but his expression changed when he saw the condition Sango was in. 

            The door closed behind him as he ran to Sango. He took her from Kikyo and bent on one knee to better support her. "Sango, Sango? Are you okay? SANGO!"

            "Shut up Miroku I'm fine." Sango said with her eyes half open. 

            "I'm calling a cab right now Dr. Sango." Kikyo said from the desk. 

            "I guess it's for the best. Kikyo I left Kohaku in the private room-" Sango began.

            "Okay." Kikyo said, "I'll take care of it. 

            "She can't possibly go home alone." Miroku said. 

            "What are you proposing?" Kikyo asked. 

            "Proposing?" Sango said in her half slumber. "So soon?" 

            Miroku ignored her and continued to talk to Kikyo, "She is obviously incapable to take care of herself."

            "Yes, but you can't possibly improve the situation any." Kikyo said. "Hello?" she turned her attention away from Miroku and towards the phone. "Yes, I would like a cab for…"

            "Sango?" Miroku spoke softly to her.

            "Hello there you little Monk----ey" Sango said with a smile. Miroku returned her smile and started to help her stand. "Whoa." Sango said, as she finally stood straight up, with half her weight on Miroku. Miroku had an arm around her waist and held on to Sango's arm that was around his neck. 

            "Sango, want me to come home with you?" Miroku asked. 

            "Now…I don't think that's such a good idea…"

            "Yeah." Kikyo said as she placed the phone on the receiver. "You might try something."

            "I would never!" Miroku said offended. "I would never have sexual relations with a lady with out her consent…it's just no fun otherwise." 

            "What, are you saying that you'll rape men?" Sango asked, drunkenly.

            Kikyo covered her mouth to conceal her laughter. Miroku just have Kikyo a sour look. 

            "Okay," Kikyo said when she was finished, "Just no funny business, or I'll transfer you to another clinic."

            "Scout's Honor." Miroku said. 

            "But I thought you were a monk?" Sango asked. 

            "Yeah, Monk's Honor." Miroku said with a half smile. 

            Kikyo rolled her eyes and signed Miroku out.

~

            "Watch it." Inuyasha said to an old woman as he through a chair through the only window in the playroom. He did not hear the breaking of the glass nor did he hear the old woman thank him for warning her. 

            He did hear something though, "Inuyasha…" It was distant but seemed to be getting closer. Koga's men burst into the playroom and Inuyasha wasted no time in jumping out the window. He sped across the damp grass and ran towards the rising sun. 

            "Shit," Koga said. "Go around and try to block him off." He told one of his men. As he ran off he spoke to his other man. "Get everyone up were going to red level three." When the man stared at him like an idiot Koga added, "alert the local police and send out a search party." 

            "Oh." The man ran off and passed Kagome and Dr. Higurashi in the doorway to the playroom. 

            "Koga." Dr. Higurashi said. 

            "He bashed in the window." Koga said, pointing to the window. 

            "I knew we should have had bars on that." Dr. Higurashi said. 

            Kagome rolled her eyes and walked up to the window. "INUYASHA!" She screamed. "YOU JERK GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!" 

            "What are you doing he can't hear you and who's Inuyasha?" Koga asked. Kagome turned around and gave her dad a shy smile. 

            "Kagome." Dr. Higurashi said sternly. 

            "Well if you promise not to be mad…" Kagome said. 

            "Kagome Higurashi out with it." He said. 

            "Well it turns out, Number five is deaf…but…"

            "But…" Dr. Higurashi said. 

            "He can hear me, and only me." Kagome said looking at her feet. 

            "What?!" Dr. Higurashi said. 

            "His name's Inuyasha." Kagome said. 

            "Hold on…" Koga said. 

            "He doesn't know how long he's been here, and he's as rude with a voice as he seems without it." 

            "Slow down sweetheart," Dr. Higurashi said. "Are you saying that he IS deaf but not deaf to you?" 

            "Pretty much." Kagome said giving him another innocent smile. 

            "It's true." Kaede said. 

            "Kaede, I'm not sure I can trust your opinion…" Dr. Higurashi said. 

            Kaede walked over from her corner and tapped Mr. Higurashi hard on the head. "Hello, wake up in there."

            "Ow, ow, ow…stop that." Dr. Higurashi backed away from her. 

            "What is going on?" Koga asked. 

            "Nothing." Kagome said. And everyone realized that she had moved towards the door and was about to walk out it. "Nothing at all." She said as she ran out the door. 

~

            Sango handed Miroku her wallet after he had dragged her out of the cab and they now stood in front of a petit white house. Sango paid no attention as Miroku handed the cab driver the appropriate amount of money. The cab pulled away as soon as the money was in the driver's hand. 

            "How rude." Miroku said. 

            "Well, you might have scared him." Sango said as she started to stumble up the sidewalk to her front door. 

            "How so?" Miroku grabbed her arm to help steady her. 

            "Thank you," Sango said. "Well you are wearing old monk robes." 

            "Then he should be honored to have such a being present, not scared." Miroku said. 

            Sango laughed slightly and pulled her arm gently away from Miroku. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a key. Miroku took it from her and unlocked the door. He then threw it open. 

            Her house was clean. Too clean. The door opened to the living room, which had a couch and a piano. There was also a fireplace with a painted picture of Sango and Kohaku above it. To the left were stairs that lead up into a black abyss. Miroku gently led Sango into the living room and released her on the couch. He went back and shut the front door and turned on the light. 

            "Uh…" Sango said. She grabbed one of the pillows off the couch she was laying on and covered her head with it. "I've got a headache…Miroku be a doll and get me some pills and a glass of water from the kitchen…"

            Miroku said nothing but made his way towards the kitchen. The Kitchen was open to the living room and worked off the same light. It was a small kitchen. There was a small stove and a fridge. Miroku opened the cabinet above the stove and luckily that was where she kept the glasses. "Sango, you know the institutes not that bad." Miroku turned the water on from the sink that was next to the stove. "It's actually helped be a lot. I mean…maybe I don't have any powers…maybe it's just my imagination. But it just seems so real."

            There was no sound coming from the living room. 

            "Sango where do you keep the pills?" Miroku opened the cabinet beside the stove. "Ah-ha…never mind." He walked into the living room with two pills and the glass of water. "Here you go Sango. Sango?"

            Sango was sitting up on the couch, crying. 

****************************************

            End of Chapter Seven. Everyone throw your hands up in the air like you just don't care!!

            **MissTeya: **Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

            **Kayte: ** Well you might wanna stop reading then cause I don't like when people hate me.

            **Tsukikage: **Well if you must know I will tell you. Sesshomaru doesn't love Rin like a girlfriend kind of love…that would be kind of gross. He loves her like a daughter. Wish Sesshomaru loved me…in any way…preferably in the kind of way…Okay I'll stop talking now.

            **Moonshyne: **Yes, yes I will die.

            **Shadowandhawk: **Sesshomaru is a demon. And Kagome is…well not exactly a priestess…maybe, I haven't exactly decided what to call her, but she does have powers I will give you an example…Ahem, remember when she first met Inuyasha how she was able to get into his room. If not, please go back and check. I am soooo good at foreshadowing I do it all the time so please have a keen eye. ^_^

            **Silentslayer: **No, Sango will not remember Kagome's little mess up. I think she has other things on her mind at this moment. Poor Sango. I'm so happy you like it!!

            **Poison Claws: **You get ten points for reading my foreshadowing. You are awesome!!

            **Scorpiogal: **She's not and she won't be. She's just kind of mean.

            **Dark n light: **Thank you thank you. Now close your mouth, or in the words of Miroku, "Are you trying to catch flies?"

            **Crystal Sapphire: **Ah! To many question all at once! Ah! *POP* (My head exploded, but don't worry I'm sure I can pull myself together)

            **^_~ Kagome: **Hey Lauren! This is what I was telling you about!!

            Well that's all folks!

            Review?


	8. Most Wanted

Unstable

Most Wanted

            "No." Sesshomaru said to the man on the phone while Dr. Higurashi drove. "What do you mean you followed the tracking devise we implanted in him and you wound up at my house?"

            Dr. Higurashi shook his head while he drove. 

            "Dad." Kagome said from the back seat.

            "Yes dear?"

            "Stop the car." Kagome said. 

            "Why?"

            "I don't want to get killed by your reckless driving." 

            Dr. Higurashi stopped the car in the middle of the street across from a gas station and next to a park. "You don't even trust your own father?" he asked. 

            "No." Kagome said as she opened the back door to his little car. "Love you Dad, I'll catch you back at home." She slammed the door shut and ran towards the sidewalk near the park. 

            "Drive Higurashi." Sesshomaru said and he had no choice. 

            Kagome watched her father drive away till she could no longer see his car. She took a deep sigh and somewhere deep inside her she hoped they would never find Inuyasha. 

~

            Miroku grabbed the phone after the first rang nearly out of breath. Sango had fallen asleep on the couch and he did not want to wake her. "Hello?" he said. 

            "Dr. Sango? My, how your voice has changed." A female voice on the line said. It was one of the operators for the institute. 

            "This is not Dr. Sango." Miroku said. 

            "Oh…well…can you please tell her that Number Five has been spotted down highway nine." 

            "Okay." Miroku said but he did not believe it was true. "Bye." He placed the receiver down.

            "Miroku, who was that?" Sango said as she sat up rubbing her temples.

            "The milk man, he said he would bring the milk early tomorrow." 

            "Oh, that's good then." Sango said. She reached forward and grabbed the small glass of water off the coffee table. She took a small sip before gently bringing it away from her lips. "Miroku." she said. 

            "Hmm?" Miroku had walked into the kitchen and returned at the sound of his name.

            "You do know about Kohaku don't you?" she asked.

            Miroku did not move for a moment, he almost seemed to be contemplating what he should do. He sat down next to her and shook his head. 

            "Well, you do know how he had multiple personalities…" she asked.

            Miroku looked at her and nodded once.

            "We used an experimental drug and well…he doesn't have multiple person-" Sango cut off and seemed to swallow an imaginary lump that was in her throat. "He doesn't have multiple personalities any more." Sango took another sip from the glass of water before setting on the table. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them.

            "Go on." Miroku said kindly.

            "He has no memory. Of anything…of his friends, of his past…of-" Sango stood up and refused to look at Miroku. "I'm going to bed, Miroku. I suggest that you return to the clinic."

            Miroku watched her reach the foot of the stairs before he spoke. "I would Lady Sango, but you see, I have no way of getting back."

            Sango sighed and shook her head in a friendly fashion. "Very well Miroku, you may sleep on the couch. There are spare blankets in the closet there." She pointed to a door near the kitchen and started to ascend the stairs. "Good night, Miroku."

            "Sweet dreams, Lady Sango." Miroku said. Sango disappeared from view and Miroku finished his sentence, "For you deserve all the sweetness you can get."

~

            Inuyasha jumped from the top of an office building to the top of another taking careful precaution not to be seen. He landed with his knees slightly bent; he stood up and stared at the crescent shaped moon. Dark black clouds were floating through the sky slightly obscuring his sight of the moon. The moon was reflecting onto the clouds making them seem to have a silver lining. Inuyasha couldn't help but feel this must be where that old saying comes from. 'Every cloud has a silver lining.'

            He sat down on the roof and made a heavy sigh. This roof would be his resting spot, he would sleep here tonight. He leaned his head forward slightly and allowed his eyes to close. 

            Immediately he started to dream. First he saw himself as a little boy throwing a ball down and running to a woman wearing a multiple layer kimono. Then he saw strange flashes of a woman with long black hair with a sad expression leaning over him. 

Then he saw blood, gallons and gallons of blood; a woman screaming; a glimpse of a sweet smile; his name being yelled in frantic horror by the woman with the long black hair and sad expression. He heard an evil laugh echo, but then he can heard nothing. He saw the woman with the long black hair again. Her mouth was moving but yet no sound was escaping from it. 

"Can't you talk?" he asked. But he could not hear it himself. She frowned and floated away from him. 

Then all he saw and heard was darkness. His life was darkness. Then suddenly a burst of light exploded from nowhere and he had to cover his face to shield his eyes from it. 

He then sees glimpses of a woman; green skirt; black hair; friendly, forgiving eyes; a warm smile. Then her whole body comes into view. She waves to him and smiles wider. 

            "Don't be so silly Inuyasha." He hears her say. Inuyasha glances to his right and sees a little boy playing with some small trucks. Inuyasha stands up and can't understand why he was sitting. He starts to walk towards her, his arm reaching out to her, but she is getting farther and farther away. __

            "Kagome…" he calls out to her.

            "Inuyasha…" Her expression changes from joy to fear. She covers her mouth to conceal a scream and a masked man in a dark cloak appears and gathers her into his arms. He runs off with her, leaving Inuyasha alone. 

            Inuyasha tries to run, but his feet won't move. He calls out, but he has no voice. He can only hear Kagome's terrified screams. He can't make out what she's screaming at first but then he can hear it as clear as day: 

            "Save me, Inuyasha."

~

            "We've spotted him." Koga said into the cell phone as he ran towards a 30 story building in the city. 

            "Wonderful." Sesshomaru said. 

            "What's wonderful?" Dr. Higurashi asked from the driver side of the car. He had parked it along the street to stake out a ramen shop. It was now sunrise and Sesshomaru was getting angry. Well, angrier.

            "Okay." Sesshomaru said. "Well be there in five minutes, good work Koga." Sesshomaru clicked the phone off and turned to Dr. Higurashi. "Drive."

            "What's wonderful?" he repeated. 

            "We've got him." 

            Dr. Higurashi started the car. 

~

            Inuyasha woke in a cold sweat. The images from his dream still playing in his mind and one voice echoed in the sheer blackness of his mind; 'Save me…' He shook his head to rid himself of the dreams and stood up, only to realize that a helicopter was flying just overhead. He had not been able to hear it coming so he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists almost enough to draw blood.

            "Number Five." A man said through a megaphone. "Surrender peacefully and you won't be harmed. Do you understand me?" 

            Inuyasha glared at the man and hopped off the building onto a smaller one beside it. He would have reacted the same way whether or not he could hear the man.

            "He doesn't." The man said, letting the megaphone drop to his lap. Inuyasha jumped from the smaller building onto a moving car on the street below. He bent his knees from the jump and braced himself with his hand on the roof of the car. He leaped up again and jumped onto a small car throwing it slightly off balance, causing it to veer onto the sidewalk slightly before the driver was able to correct the car. 

            "GET OFF!" A man in the passenger seat yelled as he rolled down the window. Inuyasha of course heard nothing. 

            "Should I stop?" the driver asked. 

            "No, continue to drive Higurashi, if we keep moving fast he can't jump off, unless he's an idiot." Sesshomaru said as he stuck his head out the window, he twisted it around and looked Number Five Square in the eyes. 

            Inuyasha stared at the man and he pictured him standing next to a lake wearing an old fashion kimono with an odd furry object over one shoulder. Inuyasha shook his head to bring himself back to reality, the image still present in his mind. It was like he was seeing peaces of his past, in little bits. 

            "Now." Sesshomaru said slowly. "Come home." 

            Inuyasha tried to make out the words the familiar man was speaking but he was unable to read his lips. Inuyasha continued to glare at the man while Dr. Higurashi turned around a corner. 

            "Number Five." Sesshomaru said loudly while Inuyasha continued to grip the roof of the car firmly. 

            Inuyasha could make that out. He saw Sesshomaru's mouth curve into an N and saw his lips meet at a V. He was tired of being called that. "NO!" Inuyasha yelled loud without realizing it. 

            Sesshomaru was speechless for a moment. 

            "MY NAME IS INUYASHA!" He yelled and jumped off the car. 

            "You fool! You'll die from the impact!" Sesshomaru yelled.

~

            "Come on Kagome lets go to the mall!" Eri said to her friend as they walked along the sidewalk past many stores. 

            "I don't know." Kagome said as she clenched her math book against her chest. 

            "What's a matter Kagome, you haven't been yourself at all today." Yuka said as she put a caring arm around Kagome's shoulders. 

            "Well…" Kagome said. 

            "It's a boy isn't it?" Ayumi said eagerly. 

            "Uh…" 

            "That means yes! It is! Oh tell us, who is he?" Yuka said as she removed her arm from around Kagome's shoulders. 

            "What did he do? Did he break your heart? Cause if he did-" Ayumi made a fist. 

            Kagome chuckled and shook her head. "It's nothing like that at all."

            "Oh come on Kagome, you can tell us." Eri said. 

            "Well, he has the most gorgeous golden eyes…and…" Kagome trailed off as she heard a car screech around the corner and onto her street. Her friends also turned to the car. Hanging onto the roof was a man with long white hair. Another man was sticking his head out the window he also had white hair. Kagome gasped and dropped her math book as she ran towards the car. She remained on the sidewalk. 

            "MY NAME IS INUYASHA!" She heard him yell just as he pushed off the car. 

            "You fool! You'll die from the impact!" She heard the other man say. 

            "Inuyasha!" she yelled and ran towards where he was going to fall.

            Inuyasha turned in mid air and saw Kagome standing in his landing spot. Then Inuyasha realized that at the speed he was going and at the trajectory he was falling he would die from the impact of hitting the concrete, but if Kagome stood in his way…she would die. 

            "Inuyasha!" She screamed again and held her arms out in front of her. She clenched her eyes closed and tears streamed down her cheeks. 

            'Would she give her life for me?" he thought just before impact. And then he realized he didn't hit her or the pavement but pillows. He hit dozens of fluffy white pillows. He bounced up slightly and landed on his back on the pillows. He stared straight up at the clouds in the sky unable to comprehend what had just happened. 

            Hadn't he just seen her standing here? And then suddenly she wasn't? What the hell?

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome said and ran next to him. She knelt down, "Are you okay?"

            He nodded and sat up. 

            "Hey!" A man ran out of a shop and looked at the pillows. "My pillows!" He yelled and made a rude hand gesture to Kagome as he instructed one of his workers to retrieve the pillows. 

            Down the street a car screeched to a halt and turned around. Kagome continued to smile as she spoke, "Thank goodness you're okay I was worried. You should go now, they're coming back." Kagome stood up.

            Inuyasha also stood up. "But how, what, pillows…huh?"

            Kagome laughed. 

            "How did you…?" 

            "Go now! Hurry!" Kagome said. 

            Inuyasha brought his eyebrows together in anger. "Don't tell me what to do." 

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome said frantically.

            Inuyasha nodded once and jumped high into the air just as a tranquilizer dart flew past him. Unfortunately it hit Kagome in her shoulder. She took a mere step back from the impact, but continued to stare upwards and watched Inuyasha jump from the lamp post to a building and onto another building. She remained standing till she could no longer see him, or was it till she fell to the ground from the tranquilizer? She doesn't know. She only knew she just had to stay standing or he would return for her. And he must not return for her. If he does…he will be captured. 

            "Kagome!" Dr. Higurashi ran from the car towards his daughter. Eri and Ayumi had caught Kagome before she had hit the ground and they were carefully lowering her towards it. 

            "What is that?" Yuka asked pointing to the dart in Kagome's shoulder. 

            "Tranquilizer dart." Eri said sadly. 

            "It was meant for that man." Ayumi said. 

            "I think that man was the one Kagome was beginning to tell us about." Yuka said. 

            "Nonsense." Eri said just as Dr. Higurashi arrived next to his daughter. 

            "You idiot Sesshomaru!" He yelled.

            Sesshomaru said nothing and his expression revealed nothing. He merely lowered the tranquilizer gun to his side and looked off in the direction Inuyasha had taken.

            'My name is Inuyasha!" He recalls him saying. 

            "I know your name, brother." Sesshomaru nearly whispered. 

**********************************

This is only slightly shorter than my other chapters but still rather long. I hope you enjoyed this edition because now it starts to get exciting!

Thank you, everyone who reviewed. 

**Sacredmist-** Happy? My ass may be lazy, but it is one hard working lazy ass…wait…isn't that an oxymoron? 

**Scorpiogirl-** This chapter probably confused you even more.

**Poison Claws-** Suspense is my middle name. And you are awesome, cause I can't tell a lie. ^_^

**Poe's Heir- **I write all my stories as if I were writing a book. I believe that all chapters should almost be a mini book in themselves. Of course a mini book with an evil cliffhanger, but you get what I mean. 

**Stukikage-** Yes, Inuyasha was not always deaf. I will tell you now that he became deaf after fighting a terrible battle, to save someone. Hmm…I wonder whom? Could she have long black hair and a sad expression, perhaps?

**Kayte- **Deal.

**Wizardess Girl-** I've always spelt it with no U and I will always spell it with no U just like a spell Shippo with no U. Sorry, it's just the way I've always done it. 

**Chibi Angel Sama- **I'm glad you like my story and I will try and read your story. I hear it's very good.

**K-shin-** It's not fear for Kagome it's more fear of 'losing' her.

**Toku-chan- **I thank you for your advice. I really do! I love to get reviews telling me I spelt something wrong or worded something incorrectly. I'm serious here! And you are so right about the plot thing. But I think I have it now. This chapter is a little confusing though, even for me. I hope you continue to read, and to help!

**Queen of the Spork People-** I promise not to be mean to Koga. I actually like the guy. Oh and by the way, I like your name, very original. 

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took some time to get out, but I'm always sorry. 

Check out Spellcaster soon, it will have a new chapter by tomorrow (11-26) or the day after (11-27). Thank you! And if it doesn't I am most likely tied to a stake as a human sacrifice to the mighty cotton gods. All hail the cotton gods…*Quickly looks from right to left and continues typing*

Review?


	9. Magic Pillows'

Unstable

'Magic Pillows' 

            The last thing Kagome saw before she blacked out was Inuyasha looking back at her. His expression was to far away to see. She imagined him turning around and quickly running away. She wanted him to be safe. She wanted him to run far away, far away to a place where no one would ever find him. But if he did that she, too, would never see him again. She brushed that thought aside before she became too emotional. 

            She was completely aware of where she was. She could feel the wind twirl around her and she could feel someone picking her up. It was more like her body had gone completely numb, yet the slightest pressure was obvious to her. She couldn't open her eyes but if she could, she wasn't sure she would be able to see anything. Then slowly, so very slowly she heard faint talking. 

            "Taxi!" she heard a man yell. 'Dad.' She thought. 

            "…" A girl's voice that was so soft the wind was louder. 

            "It's okay, Kagome, sweetheart, everything will be just fine." Dr. Higurashi said. 

            Kagome tried to speak, she tried to tell him she was fine, but nothing escaped her mouth. She started to panic. She tried to move her arms and her legs. She took in a deep breath and tried to scream but she was unable to draw in the breath. She started to yell for help in her mind. She twisted around, though her body did not move. 

            She heard a car door slam and her attempts at moving and screaming stopped. 

            "It will be okay." She heard her father say once more. He sounded on the brink of tears. 

            'I'll be okay…' Kagome thought. 'But what about Inuyasha?'

            "Inuyasha? You're worried about him?" Kagome heard another voice inside her mind. It was crisp and clean. 

            "Huh?" Kagome said. 

            "Don't 'huh' me." 

            "I can't see you." Kagome sounder worried. 

            "Well of course you can't see me, I'm transmitting my thoughts into your mind." The voice was female.

            "Into…my mind?" Kagome tried to grasp the thought. 

            "Yeah. That was some pretty fancy trick you pulled earlier." 

            "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Oh, I think you do. Would you like me to show you, to refresh your memory?" the voice faded slightly on the word memory. 

            Suddenly Kagome was no longer in a visionless abyss but back out in the fresh air. She was meters above the ground hovering gracefully. Kagome saw as clear as day the scene where Inuyasha had jumped off the car. She was floating above all the chaos, watching. 

            "Now pay attention." The voice said, but the owner was nowhere in site. 

            Kagome saw herself reach out towards the falling Inuyasha and then a pulse escaped her hands. She saw it move slowly from her other self over everything else and as it passed over them made them stop moving immediately. Inuyasha's body froze in mid air. Dr. Higurashi's scared expression did not falter as he held on to the steering wheel. Everything stopped moving except one person, Kagome. 

            "I remember this." Kagome said to the bodiless voice. "Why are you showing it to me?"

            The Kagome on the ground ran into a near by store and exited with several pillows in her hand. She placed them in the exact spot she had been standing. Before she returned for more. 

            "I am showing it to you because I do not think you understand what you have done." The voice sounded angry. 

            "What have I done?" Kagome asked. 

            "You've stopped time for three minutes." 

            "Yes."

            "But beings more powerful than yourself did not freeze… and had to wait THREE MINUTES for time to start back up again." 

            "Oh." Kagome said.

            "I, being one of them." The voice seemed more proud with this statement. "Was in the middle of an important conversation with a young fox."

            The Kagome below finished setting pillows on the ground and stood away from them. She put her hands in front of her and squinted her eyes. Nothing happened. 

            "I'm very sorry." Kagome said kindly.

            "I'm sure you are, but I will be watching you more closely from now on. So please be careful and do try to not use magic."

            "Magic." Kagome said baffled. "I can do magic."

            "Well of course you can do magic! No, the time spirit just decided it wanted to take a break for three minutes. I don't think so." 

            As the Kagome underneath her tried one more time to start time up again. The voice speaking, got stronger. The air in front of Kagome seemed to waver. The shape of a woman was visible. Kagome could make out long black hair. "Please be careful, I will be sending a teacher to come and help you master your magic and to exactly determine what kind of magic you have. Until then-" The waver in the sky vanished just as the Kagome below started time back up again. 

            Kagome looked down at herself as Inuyasha fell onto the pillows. "How was I able to start it back up?" she said. She watched Inuyasha run off and something hit the other Kagome's arm. "What **was** that?" Kagome said. 

            "Tranquilizer dart." She heard Eri say sadly. 

            Kagome looked behind her and saw Dr. Sesshomaru slowly lowering a long barrel gun to his side. Then to her complete surprise, he looked at her. He looked directly at her. His eyes narrowed slightly before he turned away from her and turned his attention to the unconscious Kagome and her hysterical father. 

            'He hadn't seen me? Had he?' Kagome thought. 'There was no way he could have seen me…I mean…he'd have to have some kind of…power…right? Perhaps he was looking behind me, maybe Inuyasha was back there or something.' Kagome looked behind her and saw only the deserted roof of a building. 

            A sharp pain pounded in Kagome and she clenched her eyes shut. She held her chest in pain and took deep rasping breaths. The pain was unbearable and felt like sharp knives hitting her chest. Kagome took a deep breath in and just as the unexpected pain had started, it stopped. She opened her eyes and found she was no longer floating in the past but lying on a hospital bed. Her shirt had been ripped off down the middle exposing her bra to the world. 

            "Thank god." A doctor wearing a long white trench coat said as he removed his gloves. A nurse behind him was replacing two odd handles onto a cart with much care. Kagome looked at the doctor completely baffled. "Kagome do you know what just happened?" he said as he removed the small mask on his mouth, he handed both his gloves and mask to another nurse who promptly threw them away. He pulled out a flashlight and pointed it in Kagome's face. 

            Kagome jerked her face away and squinted her eyes. "No." she answered his question.

            "I see." The doctor pulled the flashlight back and replaced it into his pocket. He removed a tongue depressor from a jar sitting on a shelf near by. "Say 'ah'." 

            "Ah." Kagome said while opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out. He placed the depressor on her tongue and looked down her throat. 

            "All seems good." He said and tossed the stick into the trash. A nurse walked in with a blue smock in her hands. "Ah, yes very good just hand it to her then." He said. The nurse nodded and placed the ugly blue gown on Kagome's lap. Kagome quickly put it on, covering up her front. The nurse shut the door behind her. 

            "What did happen?" Kagome asked the doctor. 

            "You died." He said as he removed the stethoscope from around his neck. 

            "I what?" Kagome jumped slightly as he placed the cold end on her bear back. 

            "Take a deep breath in, now out." He returned the instrument to its rightful place and continued to speak, "You died, we had to give your heart a jump start to bring you back." 

            Kagome stared straight ahead holding tightly to the smock that was around her chest. 

            "The tranquilizer we found in your arm was to strong for a light weight girl such as yourself." The doctor said. He walked to the corner of the room and pulled out a folded up wheel chair. He quickly unfolded it and gestured for Kagome to get in it. 

            "If it was too strong…" Kagome said. "Then what if…" 'Inuyasha…' she thought. 

            "Let's not dwell on the what ifs of life." He said as he grabbed her lower arm and helped her into the wheel chair. Kagome stared blankly ahead as he rolled her out the door and down the hallway. 

            There were many people running along the hallway or sitting on chairs against the wall, but Kagome didn't notice any of them. 

            Her mind was elsewhere. "Inuyasha…"she muttered softly.

            The intercom over head blasted loudly and hardly legible bringing Kagome out of her daze. "Dr. Hojo, please skreeeeeech to room 219. Dr. Hojo screech screaaaash. Thank you." 

            The doctor looked at the ceiling and laughed. 

            "What's so funny?" Kagome asked. 

            "They want me to 'screech' to room 219." He laughed. 

            Kagome smiled slightly.

            "Screech." Hojo said as he pushed her along the hallway. Kagome giggled at his joke making her feel happier. 

            "Let me go!" a boy yelled. 

            Kagome looked ahead and a young boy with bright red hair ran frantically down the hallway towards her. Several nurses were trailing behind him. Hojo pushed the wheel chair against the wall and prepared to pounce on the boy. 

            "I don't think so!" The boy leaped over Hojo just as he lunged at him. The boy sprang off the top of Hojo's head and soared high, before doing a front flip and landing gracefully on the ground behind the fallen doctor. Kagome watched the young boy with stunned aw. 

            "Hey you!" Hojo yelled down the hall to other nurses who were in the young tyrants path. "Catch him!"

            The boy did a 'U' turn and trying to avoid the nurses behind him was caught by Hojo, who was still on the ground. 

            "Let me go!" The boy yelled. He wiggled and tried desperately to escape from Hojo's unbreakable hug around him. 

            "Shippo." The original nurse who had been chasing the young boy scolded, "Why did you run off?"

            "I don't wanna shot!" The boy yelled and tried to pry out of Hojo's grasp once again. 

            "I wouldn't want one either." Kagome said. She stood out of the wheel chair and bent down to be level with the captive boy. He stopped squirming and paid close attention to her. Kagome smiled sweetly at him and whispered, "Tell you what," she winked at him and continued, "If I get one with you would you do it?" 

            Shippo was skeptical at first, he glanced at Kagome and to the nurse behind. "Okay." He said. "But only if I you take me home after ward also." 

            Kagome looked at Hojo, who nodded.

            "Deal." Kagome said and held her hand out for the young one to shake. Hojo released the boy who promptly took Kagome's hand with a wide smile on his face. 

            "I'm Shippo." He said. 

            "And I," Kagome said, "am Kagome.

~

            Inuyasha shivered as he wrapped an old newspaper around his body. He had found refuge for the night in the back of an old gas station. From time to time he watches costomers pulling up to the empty pumps and cursing to the old Asian man that worked there. Inuyasha felt sorry for the man. He lives above a gas station that doesn't have any gas. He is alone with no human contact except for the people that come to yell at him.

            Inuyasha watches as a young teenage girl with who sounds like her boyfriend pull into the gas station. He concludes from their actions and expressions what they might be saying. 

            "What?" The boy asks. "This pump is empty?"

            "Come on dear lets go, we have enough gas to make it to the next station." The girl tries to persuade him kindly.

            "No, why would this place have lights on if it didn't have any gas?" He slams the empty pump back down and walks away from his car.

            "Sweet heart, where are you going?" She steps quietly out of the car.

            "I'm going to talk to that manager and give him a peace of my mind." He trudges past other empty pumps and walks into the small building. 

            "Honey, wait for me!" The girl scurries along after him. 

            Inuyasha decides to jump up on some boxes to look through the window in the back of the store to get a better view.

            "Hey old man!" The boy yells. 

            "Honey…"the girl unnoticingly attemps to end the dispute before it even begins. 

            "I said, old man!" The boy repeats.

            "How may I help you?" the old man desends a flight of stairs that was in the back of the store, he walks towards the young couple and nods hello to them.

            "What is up with the pumps outside?" The boy slams his fist on the counter. The girl jumps and wraps her arms around her body. 

            Inuyasha's teeth clenched. 

            "They don't have any gas!" The boy answers for the man.

            "I am very sorry." The man bows his head. 

            "Sorry doesn't cut it." The boy pulls out a gun from his pocket and points it at the man. 

            The girl whimpers and walks away from her boyfriend. 

            The man is unfazed by the gun and simply stands staring at the boy. 

            Inuyasha gently unlocks the window he is looking through. 

            "Now old man any last words?" The boy cocks the gun. 

            "Honey don't!" The girl pleads.

            "Sorry, babe, but this man has to learn, and it seems he's learning the hard way." He says. 

            The girl whimpers and covers her ears. 

            The boy's finger gently presses down on the trigger. Suddenly a strong force hits the boy squarely in the chest knocking his body back causing the gun to sling upward in his grasp and fire at the ceiling instead of the old man. 

            Inuyasha pulls his foot back and lands gracefully on the ground in front of the boy. The old man is standing behind him. The boy pulls his body up slightly and is resting his weight on his elbows. 

            "Who the hell are you?" He asks. 

            Inuyasha glares at the boy as he reaches down and slowly takes the gun away from him. The girl has now retreated even farther back and is sitting on the floor with her knees drawn into her chest. Inuyasha closes his fist around the gun causing the weapon to crumble under his strength. Pieces of the gun fall to the ground before Inuyasha drops the rest into the boy's lap. The boy is so surprised he is unable to speak. He starts to back away while he is still on the ground. 

            "A gun," Inuyasha speaks, "Is a weapon for the weak." 

            Inuyasha's voice must have been too frightening for the boy to handle. He was able to aquire sure footing and stand. He ran as fast as he could out the front door and to his car still parked outside. He sped off in such a frenzy of panic that he left his tramatized girl friend weeping on the floor. 

            She was wearing the same school uniform that Kagome was wearing the last time Inuyasha had seen her. Inuyasha's eyes soften slightly and he turns to the old man behind him. 

            "Thank you." He says. Inuyasha nods. 

            The man's mouth starts to move so fast that Inuyasha is unable to follow along. "Stop." Inuyasha says. "I cannot hear you." He says it out loud for the first time and the truth does not hit him as hard as he thought. 

            "Oh, I see." The man says slower. "You are welcome to stay the night here if you wish, I will take care of the girl. Go ahead up stairs."

            "I." Inuyasha starts but the man shakes his head. 

            "Go." He says. 

            Inuyasha nods once and walks apprehencively up the stairs. He looks back to find the old man leaning in front of the girl. 

            "Do you have someone you can call?" Inuyasha sees him ask before he turns around and continues up the stairs. 

**********************************

End of Chapter Nine. 

**Inuficcrzy: **thank you I'm glad you like my humor.

**Toku-chan: **thanks! Here's another one for you! 

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!

Review?


	10. New Patient

Unstable

New Patient

The next morning Kagome woke in her own room on her own bed. The sun was shining brightly through her window and birds were singing sweet songs to her from outside. Kagome stretched her entire body and sat up in her bed. She stared out her window at the beautiful landscape. 

"Ah, you're awake." Her father said from her doorway. Kagome turned her head towards him and nodded. 

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked as she stretched her hands above her head. 

"Not long, but I took the day off from work today so I could stay home with you." Mr. Higurashi walked slowly into his daughter's bedroom and sat next to her on her bed. He put his arm around her shoulders and Kagome leaned into him. "Are you okay?" He asked hesitantly. 

Kagome sighed deeply as the events of the strange out of body voice played through her mind. "Yeah." She said with another deep sigh. 

They sat there a moment, father and daughter, gazing sightlessly at the opposite wall. The sun drifted in through the window revealing tiny dust particles dancing through the air. 

"Dad," Kagome began.

"Hmm." Dr. Higurashi replied. 

"Whatever happened to..Number Five?" Kagome had nearly said Inuyasha.

Dr. Higurashi made an odd sound that was somewhere between humming and sighing. Kagome pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. "Now sweety." he tried to comfort her. 

"What happened?" Kagome said calmly. 

Dr. Higurashi stood up and turned his back to his daughter. "You've seemed to have gotten attached to him." He said. 

Kagome turned her head quickly in his direction and addressed him in anger, "What sort of question is that?" Dr. Higurashi was surprised at her outburst and spun his body around to look at her. "You try spending twelve or so hours locked up with someone. Let's see if you end up forgetting it." Kagome spat out at him.

"Sweety." Dr. Higurashi whispered. 

"No," Kagome yelled as she stood up. "I want you to tell me what has happened to him right." and with out any notice at all Kagome collapsed to her knees in a river of tears. She couldn't understand why she was crying, it was as if a gate had been opened and she couldn't stop herself. All her emotions of sorrow, rage and worry pouted out of her as she continued to yell mumbles at her father. 

"Kagome." Dr. Higurashi comforted her with his voice. He knelt down and attempted to touch her trembling back. "Kagome everything will be okay."

"How can you say that!?" She screeched. Dr. Higurashi lightly touched her back and she shrugged his hand off. Dr. Higurashi sighed and walked out of her room. Kagome started to cry harder because she felt herself pushing him away. She slowly climbed onto her bed and clenched her pillow to her cheek. Her tears continued to flow onto the white fabric creating tiny puddles. 

Kagome sniffled and continued to whisper complaints. 

****

What is this strange man trying to do? Inuyasha thought as he watched the man who owned the convenience store make strange symbols with his hands. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha asked not expecting an answer. The man sighed in defeat and leaned against the wall behind him. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and the man shook his head. 

"It's sign language." The man said. 

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow a little higher. 

"How come you could understand me earlier!?" The man yelled. 

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side. 

"I give up!" The man threw his arms in the air and walked down stairs to the store. Inuyasha watched him leave before he walked to the window and opened it to the early air of the morning. He took in a deep breath and coughed it out. 

"Dirty air." He continued to cough. 

"wah.sniffle." A very faint sound floated to his ears. 

"Whoa." Inuyasha said. "Is that.?" He leaned out the window and listened with all his might.

"Why." it sobbed. "why can't he understand.he should really lock himself in with another person.you either end up hating them.or loving them."

"It is her!" Inuyasha yelled after he had leaped from the window. He landed gracefully on the grass below and pushed off with such power the grass was thrown into the air behind him leaving a dirt patch in the lawn. 

Inuyasha avoided the main streets and tried to find the quickest path to Kagome. The closer he got the louder the sobs became, and the more worried he became. He was concentrating hard on her voice, trying to determine why she was crying. He stopped watching where he was going and jumped straight from a tree onto a busy street. 

Inuyasha turned in mid-air and landed on the roof of a car instead of the center of the street. "Shit," he growled. He jumped of the roof and landed on the hood of a giant SUV. 

"Look mommy!" A young child sitting in the front seat pointed to the strange man on the car behind them. 

"Yes sweety.Oh my god!" She said and swerved into the next lane ramming her small vehicle into a convertible. The man driving the convertible was flung from the car sideways and through the passenger window. He landed onto the street with a painful roll from which he did not get up. Another small red car swerved to miss him lying in the road and ran off into a ditch. Inuyasha watched the accident with surprised eyes while the man in the car he was sitting on continued to drive around it all with out a care in the world. 

The man rolled down his window and yelled at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha." He said. Inuyasha continued to stare forward oblivious he was being addressed by someone who knew his name. The man realizing his mistake honked his horn. Inuyasha turned around surprised at the sudden vibration that had ran through the hood of the car. 

Again the man honked the horn. Inuyasha finally looked at him through the front windshield. 

"Shessomaru."Inuyasha said with malice. 

"Hang on." Sesshomaru said, but it had no effect on Inuyasha. Sesshomaru smiled evilly as he rammed the car straight into a light pole on the side of the street. Inuyasha jumped off just in time to avoid the crash and ran once again in the direction Kagome was crying. "The time is approaching brother." Sesshomaru said unfazed and unharmed from the sudden crash. 

****

Kagome rubbed her face into her pillow removing all the tears from her face. She threw the pillow on the floor and sat up in her bed. She swung her feet over the side and clenched the sides of her bed with her hands. Red marks from her salty tears remained below her eyes. Her nose was slightly stuffed from her episode and she would sniffle as a cause. 

There was a strange noise from outside her window and she looked out it into the blazing sun of the late afternoon. "Hello?" she asked softly. There was no answer so she started to hesitantly walk towards the open window. "Um." There was a loud thump and Kagome jumped up slightly. "I'm warning you I have a knife!" She said as if to scare whatever it was away. "I know kung fu!" Kagome took a small step towards the window. Her pillow was just in front of her on the floor so she picked it up and held it in front of her like it was some kind of weapon. 

"I'm warning you!" Kagome said brandishing the pillow. "Don't come in or else!" Kagome shook the pillow slightly. 

Kagome slowly looked out the window, she leaned down and looked at the ground far below and saw no one. She stood up and released a deep sigh. 

"Or what? Beat me with a pillow?" some one said. 

Kagome squealed, spun around, and slammed her fluffy soft pillow directly onto Inuyasha's head. "Ouch." He said sarcastically. 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled and threw the pillow to the floor as she pushed herself into his chest. She clenched the front of his blue hospital outfit, "I was so worried about you, you jerk!" 

Inuyasha just stood immobile with his hands at his sides. He stared above her head with a somewhat surprised and confused expression on his face. 

Kagome pulled away from him, "So." she said, "Whatcha been up to?"

"Nothin." Inuyasha said. 

"Kagome?" Dr. Higurashi's voice yelled from down stairs, "Are you all right?"

"Oh no!" Kagome whispered to Inuyasha.

"What?" He said loudly. 

"Shh!" Kagome grabbed Inuyasha by the collar and pulled him towards her window. 

"What are you doing?" He said in a near whisper. 

"My father just yelled for me." Kagome said, realizing once again that Inuyasha can only hear her. "We have to go."

"Hold on a second. 'WE'?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Shh." Kagome whispered harshly while putting her finger to her lips. She grabbed her blue wind breaker jacket off the back of her chair and grabbed Inuyasha's arm just above his wrist. 

"Kagome." Inuyasha whined. 

"Quiet!" Kagome hushed as she leaned out the two story window. 

"Kagome, stop." Inuyasha cried because she was a little to close to the edge for comfort. 

"Inuyasha stop being such a baby," Kagome rolled her eyes and put her hand on the window seal. "Let's go, come on I can hear him coming up the stairs!" She pulled on his wrist to coax him. 

"I think you should stay here," Inuyasha argued. 

"No, I'm going with you." Kagome turned around to face him. 

"No."

"Why not? Think I'll get in your way, or something?" Kagome raised her eyebrow. 

"No.it's not that.it's just."

"No It's exactly that, but I don't care I'm going with you!" Kagome stomped her foot. 

"Kagome!" Dr. Higurashi wailed. 

"Come on, Inuyahsa!" Kagome persauded. 

Inuyasha looked at Dr. Higurashi aprhensively before grabbing Kagome by her for-arm and jumping out the window. 

"Kagome!" Dr. Higurashi screamed as he ran to the window and looked out. Sadly both Kagome and Inuyasha were no where in site. 

"Oh, Kagome.I knew this would happen." Dr. Higurashi shook his head. He pulled his cell phone out and flipped it open, immediantly it started beeping and a red dot appeared on the screen moving away from him. "That's why I put a tracer on you when I came to talk to you earlier." Dr. Higurashi sighed. 

****

"Welcome." Kikyo said as Sango entered the asylum with Miroku trailing behind her. "Are you feeling better now?" 

"Much better, thank you Kikyo." Sango approached the front desk. 

"Miroku." Kikyo greeted. 

"Why Kikyo, you are looking lovlier than ever today." Miroku complimented.

"What, I wasn't 'lovely' yesterday?" 

"Not at all, I was just saying that with each day you grow more beautiful." Miroku walked around to the back of the desk and Kikyo pointed her pencil at him. 

"Stay away." 

"Come on Miroku." Sango said after signing Miroku in. 

"Where are you taking him?" Kikyo asked when Sango walked towards the office doors and not towards the patient's rooms. 

"He is going to help me, besides I think it would be good for his treatment." Sango said. 

"Before you do that, you should know that you have another patient waiting for you in treatment room 2." Kikyo out a clipboard on top of the desk. 

"Kikyo." Sango stomped her way towards the secretary and snatched the clipboard off the desk. 

"Have fun." Kikyo said before picking up the phone and dialing. 

"I'll just be in the play room." Miroku tried to slither away. 

"I don't think so Miroku. You're supposed to me a monk, right?" Sango asked as she flipped through the new patients clip board.

"Well, actually I don't think I am anymore.actually.uh, I believe I'm a telemarketer, really I do."

"Yeah right, now come on." Sango didn't even attempt to drag Miroku, who just dropped his head and followed her through the door and into Treatment room 2.

****

"Ouch, Inuyasha I can't run as fast as you." Kagome yelped as she tried to jump over a log in the forest Inuyasha was dragging her through. Her thighs were scrapped up and the bottom of her skirt was torn from pertruding branches. 

"Stop complaining, you're the one who wanted to come with me." Inuyasha pulled her into the air as he jumped over a small creek. Kagome's feet trailed in the water soaking her shoes. 

"Stop for a moment." Kagome said. 

"What?!" Inuyasha skidded to a halt causing Kagome to fall to her knees. Inuyasha quickly picked her up and released her wrist.

"Carry me on your back." Kagome insisted. 

To avoid any further argument Inuyasha knelt down. Kagome smiled and climbed onto his back. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her legs and leapt off the ground. He catipulted off a low branch and zoomed through the tree line and broke into the fresh air of the evening. 

Kagome's jaw dropped open as she took in the sight around her. The sky was painted gold near the setting sun. The gold faded to red that dissapeared farther out revealing the clear blue of the sky. 

Inuyasha dove back through the tree's breaking branches on his way down. He hit the ground and remained still for a moment before taking off. 

"Do you even know where we're going?" Kagome asked with her face resting on his shoulder. 

"Yes," Inuyasha stated. 

"Well." Kagome edged on. 

"I saw a carnival off in the distance a few miles when I jumped up over the trees. I assumed that perhaps if they are a traveling carnival they would let us stay there for the night." 

"A carnival?" Kagome questioned.

"Yes, a carnival." Inuyasha replied. 

There was silence between them for a few minutes. Kagome would hide her head behind Inuyasha's shoulder whenever a rogue branch aimed for her head. 

"Inuyasha?" Kagome started. 

"What?" Inuyasha answered. 

"Why do you have dog ears?" Kagome spat out. 

Inuyasha did not answer, he only continued to run forward through the woods. Kagome did not ask again and she did not push him to answer her. She felt that he would tell her in his own good time. 

So much time passed so quickly because of a simple question. The woods were dispersing and Kagome could see sky peaking through the leaves above them. And far off in the distance she heard a ringing tune that was very catchy. It sounded like the music the ice cream truck would scream out at you on a hot summer day, or the a video game makes right after you beat the hardest boss. 

"I can hear it." Kagome said to Inuyasha.

"Hear what?" Inuyasha was happy that the strange silence he was so use to in his life was finally broken by her voice. 

"The carnival." Kagome answered. "I can hear the music. It can't be far away then! Okay, Inuyasha put me down, I don't think we have to run anymore." 

"How would you know?" He asked angrily. 

"I don't, but I'm tired of being carried." Kagome started to squirm in his grip. 

"Okay, okay!" Inuyasha yelled. "Stop moving!" Inuyasha stopped and released her feet. Kagome would have fallen flat on her butt if she did not have her arms wrapped around Inuyasha's neck. Kagome removed her hands and dropped the half a foot to the ground. 

"Thank you." She said, while straightening her clothes out. 

Inuyasha made a grunting sound and crossed his arms. "You're heavier than you look." 

Kagome stared at him with malice in her eyes. Inuyasha shrugged and started to walk out of the forest. Kagome did not say anything, she just followed him, and the music playing off in the distance.

****

It was dark when Inuyasha and Kagome finally arrived at the carnival. There was an eerie chill in the air that made Kagome wrap her jacket around herself tighter. She shivered slightly and looked up at the back of Inuyasha's head. She released a sigh and a puff of clouded air escaped her mouth. 

"What?" Inuyasha asked, before Kagome could even realize that she wanted to ask him a question.

"Uh." she stammered, "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah.not really." Inuyasha replied with his own breath chilling in the frosty air. 

Kagome smiled and could tell Inuyasha was putting on an act for her. 

"There it is." Inuyasha said. The small traveling carnival was still lit for the night but the music was dying down and the customers were trailing out of the front gate with yawns on their lips. 

"I don't know." Kagome said when she saw how shabby the carnival appeared. The ferris wheel seemed to be constructed out of rubber bands and old chewing gum. "It doesn't seem to be very safe." 

"Is any carnival?" Inuyasha interjected. 

Kagome shrugged and followed him to the front entrance where a strange man was bidding the customers fair well. 

Inuyasha attempted to walk straight past the man and into the open aired carnival. 

"Can I help you?" the man said stepping in Inuyasha's path. Inuyasha tilted his head to the side with a frown on his face. 

"Um." Kagome stepped forward and pushed Inuyasha to the side slightly. "Is the carnival closed?" 

"Just about." The man replied with more courtesy than when he had addressed Inuyasha. 

"Well we are travelers-" Kagome started. 

"Now listen here," Inuyasha pointed his finger at the man. "You're going to give us a place to stay tonight.or else." 

"Or else what?" The man asked. 

"What do you mean or else what?" Kagome tried to repeat what the man had said for Inuyasha. 

Inuyasha nodded to her and grabbed the man by the collar of his dirty shirt. He lifted him off the ground as if he were a small child. The man kicked his feet helplessly and tried to pry Inuyasha's hand off him. 

"Do you really want to find out?" Inuyasha asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. 

The man continued to struggle without answering. 

"Inuyasha." Kagome said apprehensively. "People are starting to stare."

"Let them stare." Inuyasha snapped at her. He shook the poor man before throwing him to the ground. The man landed on his butt and quickly looked up at Inuyasha with close to hate in his eyes. "There's nothing to see." Inuyasha said and turned his back to the man and calmly began to walk away. 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome jogged after him and grabbed his arm. She pulled on it slightly as if to persuade him to return to the man. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Where are we going to stay if we don't stay here?" 

"Shush, and don't look back." Inuyasha grabbed her and was now pulling her. 

"What?" 

"Carnies are evil little people." Inuyasha whispered. They entered the beginning of the woods and Inuyasha pulled her behind a tree. He grabbed both her upper arms in his two hands and pulled her close to him. He pushed her back against the tree so both she and he were hidden from view. He brought his lips next to her ear. Kagome could not understand what he was doing. Her body was unable to reject against his grasp. 

"Inuyasha." She yelled. 

"Shhh." Inuyasha gripped her arms a little tighter. Kagome released a pained squeal and he released the pressure. "Sorry." He appologised quickly. "I shouldn't have threatened the little guy. Couldn't you see all his other Carnie friends about to jump in and protect him?" He said. 

Kagome was unable to speak. 

"Well?" Inuyasha pulled his head back and looked into her eyes with a questionable expression. 

"I.I." Kagome stuttered, "I didn't.see them." 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and released her arms. "What would you do with out me?" 

"You were the one who was going to get us beat up by Carnies in the first place." Kagome said. 

"Whatever." Inuyasha said. 

"Now what." Kagome asked. 

Inuyasha looked up at the tree limbs above him and crossed his arms. "I don't know."

Kagome shook her head and started to walk away from Inuyasha back towards the carnival. 

"Wait! Where are you going? Are you crazy!?" He yelled after her. 

She turned her head back and said, "Yes, and I'm going to fix this mess you put us in. I will not sleep in the forest." 

Inuyasha remained at the edge of the forest with a dumbfounded expression plastered across his face. "Women." he whispered to him self. He ducked back behind the tree and kneeled down. A smile formed on his lips, "what would men do without them?"

******************************

There is no possible excuse I can give that will make up for this chapter being almost three months late. And if I did give you an excuse, it would have to be that I am a lazy ass. 

Yes I am a lazy ass. 

I will not give a time or date to when the next chapter will come out, because I really have no idea. 

And well.sorry.

Review?


	11. Insight into the Past

Unstable

Insight into the Past

            "Him…" The man said peaking past Kagome. "I don't know…"

            "Please Mister, he is very strong and will help you take down the rides, and we only want to stay for one night." Kagome pleaded with her hands in a prayer form. 

            The man looked at her and sighed, "It is Carnie rule to never turn down a pretty face, so alright. Just make sure you control him, another stunt like he pulled earlier and he won't be walking away from here tomorrow."

            "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Kagome hugged the man quickly. "Inuyasha!" she yelled running a few yards towards the woods. "Inuyasha!"

            "What? I can here YOU just fine." He said emerging from the dark forest. 

            "If you can't already tell, they said we could stay." She said. Inuyasha walked up to her and shook his head. 

            "I don't want to help them with anything." He said. 

            "What do you mean?" Kagome blinked. 

            "I will not, I repeat, will not help them with anything!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned his back to Kagome. 

            Kagome quickly ran in front of him. "Please?" She asked sweetly giving him her kindest most persuasive smile. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Pretty please?" Kagome fell to her knees and tugged on Inuyasha's pant leg. 

            Inuyasha shook his leg and took a step away from her. "Alright, alright, just get off me." 

            Kagome smiled and jumped up giving Inuyasha a tight hug just like she had given to the Carnie except she didn't release him. Her toes were barely touching the ground and the top of her head was just below his chin. Her hands were wrapped tight around his neck while his own hands remained at his side. 

            "Uh…" he said. 

            Kagome pulled away from him and hid the blush on her face, but she still managed to look into his eyes, searching for the hint of his emotions. But she saw nothing. 

            "What?" Inuyasha asked feeling as though he were being spotlighted in a crowded room. 

            "Nothing…" Kagome said continuing to stare into his eyes. 

            "HEY!" The Carnie yelled. "ARE YOU GONNA HELP US? OR ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP IN THE FOREST?"

            "Coming!" Kagome yelled. She ran away from Inuyasha towards the Carnie with a smile on her face. 

            Inuyasha looked after, not really seeing anything. His mind was floating with thousands of questions that only one person could answer.

            "Are you coming?" Kagome said to him from the gate of the Carnival. 

            Inuyasha nodded and started to walk towards her. 

            Kagome... He thought as she made a funny face at him. 

****

            "I refuse to talk to that." Sango's patient said pointing to Miroku who was leaning against the closed door of the room. 

            Sango was sitting on the edge of her desk with a clipboard in her lap. Her hands were on either side of her body clenching the tip of the desk. 

            "And what has Miroku done to you, Shippo?" She asked the young child who was sprawled out on the couch in the center of the room.

            "He was born," Shippo answered.

            "Sango can I please leave." Miroku asked as calmly as he could manage. 

            Sango sighed and waved to Miroku that he could leave. He didn't hesitate in leaving and making sure the door clicked closed behind him.

            "'Bout time he left." Shippo said with relief in his voice.

            "And why is that? He didn't say a single word to you except 'Hello' when he walked in and you just started immediately going off on him." Sango hopped off her desk catching the clipboard in her hand.

            "I bet he deserved it in some way, shape, or form." Shippo said. 

            "Shippo, do you know why you're here?" 

            "Cause I hate all men…"

            "But aren't you a…"

            "I hate myself too!" Shippo yelled. 

            Sango stared at Shippo for a moment before continuing, "How is your relationship with your father?"

            "How do you expect it to be?" Shippo asked. 

            "I don't know, why don't you tell me?"

            "Fine…" Shippo said as he leaned his head against the back of the couch. "I hate him. I hate him so much that just the thought of him makes me melt with anger."

            "Is this the man you currently live with?" Sango asked jotting down notes on the clipboard.

            "Yes." Shippo said through gritted teeth.

            "And he is not your real father, correct?" Sango looked up from her notes.

            "Yeah, that's right. But he's the only father I've ever known." Shippo jumped off the couch and walked towards Sango. "What's that you're writing?"

            "Notes." Sango said as she clasped the clipboard to her chest to hide it from Shippo. "So…Shippo, how is the relationship with your Mother?"

            "You mean how was the relationship…"

            "What do you mean by that?"

            "Oh, you mean you haven't heard yet, my mom died three days ago." 

            Sango stood up and let the clipboard hit the ground. "What?"

            "Yeah, her body was found in a ditch off the road side." Shippo said with a matter of fact voice.

            "H-How?" Sango asked before she could stop herself. 

            "The police say it was a random pick by a serial murderer, but I know better."

            "I don't understand…Why didn't I know about this?"

            Shippo shrugged.

            "Uh…stay here! I'm going to be right back." Sango ran full speed out the door slamming it closed behind her. She ran headfirst into Miroku who was standing just outside waiting for her.

            "Whoa in a hurry?" He asked grabbing her shoulders and pushing her back slightly.

            "I have to talk to Kikyo." Sango said. She brushed Miroku's hands off her and ran past him. He hesitated a moment before deciding not to follow her; instead he gently turned the knob on the door and entered the room Shippo was currently in. 

~

            "There are only a few things a pretty lady like you can do." The Carnie said.

            "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have tried to help take down the Ferris Wheel or the Tilt-o-Whirl. And I'm sure that man's leg while heal quickly."

            "Yeah Buck's a tough old man, I'm sure that crack we heard was just his teeth shattering together."

            "Ha…ha…yeah." Kagome sat down on an old log in front of the fortuneteller trailer. The Carnie patted her on the back and smiled before running off to help properly remove the Ferris Wheel.

            "Hello…" An old woman walked carefully down the steps of the Fortune Teller trailer and sat down next to Kagome. 

            "Um…hi." Kagome said with an unsure greeting.

            "There is no need to be frightened, my dear. I only want to speak with you. Your friend is very odd." She said looking at Inuyasha who was busy holding an alarmingly large portion of the Ferris Wheel. The men were in disbelief at his inhuman strength.

            "Yeah."

            "And his ears are odd as well." The lady said turning towards Kagome. Kagome looked at Inuyasha's strange dog like ears that rested on top of his long silver hair. She had nearly forgotten they were there. The woman shook her head; "They are odd and broken."

            "Yes," Kagome said nodding.

            "But you have started to fix them, have you not?"

            Kagome turned to the old woman and examined her more closely. She was wearing a long brown and gold shawl that was draped over a plum colored dress. She had strange sandals created out of rope and wood. Her hair was dark gray and covered by another shawl that was wrapped around her neck as well. 

            "You should look at yourself as well, my child." The old woman said. Kagome looked down at her skirt and saw tons of tiny rips and stains from traveling through the forest.

            Kagome looked back at the woman and returned to her original train of thought, "What do you mean about his ears?"

            "Why my dear it is obvious to every person who lays eyes on you or him, that he can only hear you."

            Kagome tilted her head to the side; "You look familiar to me."

            "Perhaps we met in another life?" The woman said. 

            Kagome narrowed her eyes and searched her brain for the origin of this woman.

            "KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled as he jogged towards her. Kagome turned towards the running Inuyasha and smiled. "They're going to give us some food!"

            "How do you know?" Kagome asked. 

            "I can sorda read lips…" Inuyasha said trying not to make a big deal out of it.

            Kagome stood up and was about to turn around to tell the old woman goodbye but there was no one there.

            "What are you looking at, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. 

            "Um…wasn't there just an old woman there?"

            "Hey Beautiful, ya hungry?" The Carnie walked up.

            "Do you know the old woman who lives in that trailer?" Kagome asked pointing to the fortuneteller trailer.

            "I knew of her, if that's what you mean."

            "You knew of her?" Kagome asked.

            "She died over 50 years ago. Why, do you know her?"

            Kagome felt like her heart had just jumped up into her chest. She looked at Inuyasha and then to the spot where she had last seen the woman. She heard the woman's words float through her minds once again…

"You look familiar to me."

"Perhaps we met in another life?"

            "Inuyasha…" Kagome said as she covered the side of her face with one of her hands. 

            "Kagome? What's wrong Kagome?" Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

            Kagome did not understand why she felt lightheaded. She had experienced stranger things than this recently. She clenched the sleeve of Inuyasha's shirt and stared him straight in the eye as if she was pleading for him to help her.

            Inuyasha searched her eyes for the answer to the question that remained unasked. Kagome fell into Inuyasha's chest as the lightheaded feeling became too much for her to bear. Inuyasha wasted no time in lifted her up.

            "Get some water, and lead me to a place where she can rest." He asked the Carnie.

            The Carnie nodded and motioned for Inuyasha to follow him. 

            'Be okay Kagome.' He pleaded in his mind. 'Please be okay.'

~

            "I couldn't help but over hear." Miroku said to Shippo.

            "So." Shippo said with his back to Miroku.

            "You know I lost my parents when I was about your age too." Miroku leaned against the desk.

            "Good for you."

            "I grew up in a monastery." Miroku said.

            "Didn't seem to help you any."

            "As that may be true…I still wouldn't trade it…I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for the way I was raised. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be mean and snobby if my parents had been alive to raise me. And other times I pray to the gods to reverse time and to save them from death." Miroku lowered his head and his bangs covered his eyes.

            "Death is something no one can change." Shippo said, "It works hand in hand with life."

            Miroku raised his head and saw Shippo facing him and looking him straight in the eye.

            "With out death," Shippo continued, "There would be no room for life on this planet."

            "Very deep." Miroku said. 

            "Why don't you leave if you're going to make fun of me." Shippo said turning his back to Miroku once again.

            "I'm not making fun of you, not at all. I was just agreeing with you. You know, you're rather smart for your age." Miroku sat next to Shippo on the couch. Shippo glanced at him quickly and then turned away.

            "Did you know your real father?" Miroku asked not looking at Shippo.

            "I have memories of when I was two and he would take me out back and give me piggy back rides while mom would sit in a lawn chair reading a book with the radio blasting." 

            "At least you remember." Miroku said with a hint of joy in his voice.

            "You mean you don't remember your parents at all?" Shippo asked.

            "I've never even seen a picture of them." Miroku rested his chin on his hands and his elbows on his knees. "My father died before my mother discovered she was pregnant with his child and she died soon after giving birth to me. The monk at the monastery said he would take me in since he knew my grandparents, but he hardly knew my parents."

            "So you've never heard a story about them?" Shippo questioned. He looked at Miroku with sadness in his eyes.

            "Only one story…and the details seem to thin out over time." Miroku stood up and headed for the door.

            "Your mother may have been murdered." Miroku said with his back to Shippo and his hand inches away from the door handle. "But she was not murdered by a serial killer…. And Shippo, please always remember there are people worse off than you…and others who are so bad, they wish they were you." Miroku grasped the door handle and walked out the door just as Sango was jogging up the hallway.

            "Miroku?" She questioned. "Did you get lost on your way to the girls shower or something?"

            "Nothing like that Sango!" Miroku said waving as if to brush the comment aside.

            Sango raised her eyebrow as she entered the room and kept an eye on the smiling Miroku until the door was completely shut. Miroku let out a relieved breath of air and walked towards the reception area to torment Kikyo.

~

            "What?"

            "Kagura calm down this is only a calm visit." 

            Kagura, the woman who clams to control wind, was sitting on her bed in the far side of the cell while a man with long black wavy hair stood in front of the closed door.

            "You wish to leave this place?"

            "Doesn't everyone?" She asked rolling her eyes. 

            "Then, as they say, you scratch my back I'll scratch yours."

            "No, Naraku." Kagura said.

            "I fear you have no choice."

~

            "Let me go!" Kagome screamed as she struggled against arms grabbing her. There were so many people around her she couldn't tell how many. She threw her self from side to side as they lifted her off the ground and began to drag her down a strange hallway. 

            There were cells on either side of the hallway with hands reaching out to her. Trying to grab her, trying to pull her in to their reality. The people dragging Kagome wore strange blue outfits with nametags pined to them. Kagome tried to focus on the name but the only letter she could make out was a K. 

            The people carrying her forced her to stand up and threw her against a wall surprising Kagome to no end. They began to clamp her wrists, ankles, and her waist to the wall. Kagome struggled constantly but was unable to break free of their grip. 

            "Stop moving freak." One of them said as they left the room they had dragged her into. The room was painted entirely white from one wall to another.  There was a mirror on the side opposite Kagome that probably had people observing her from the other side.

            The strange thing about this mirror was the reflection starring back at her was not her own…it was Inuyasha's. Kagome studied the angry expression that was on his face, or was it her face? His silver hair was rattled and he was covered in scratches. Kagome looked at her own arm and saw no such scratches. She returned her gaze to the mirror to find her own reflection gazing at her. 

            "What is going on?" She asked. 

            "Number 5," a voice announced over the loud speaker. Kagome looked around the room and could not find the loud speaker. "This is experiment number 5 starting in 5…4…3…2…1…"

            A sharp pain entered Kagome's entire body and she screamed as loud as she could manage.

            "Kagome! Wake up Kagome, wake up!" Inuyasha shook Kagome out of her nightmare. She looked at him with more fear in her eyes than he had ever seen. 

            "Inuyasha…" she said as tears started to stream down her cheeks. She sat up from the bed she was laying in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was sitting beside her in one of the Carnie's trailers. 

            "Uh…Kagome what's wrong?" He asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Kagome allowed him to gently push her back as salty tears streamed down her face. "Kagome…" He said almost sadly. 

            "It was terrible," She said with a sniffle. "There were people everywhere reaching for me…and I was being dragged and there were hands…and clamps…and a white room…then…" Kagome stopped and looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes. "And you, you were in the mirror instead of me. They called you Experiment number Five." 

            Inuyasha released her and walked to the edge of the small room putting his back to her. Kagome stared at his back with confusion.

            "There were five experiments…" Inuyasha began. He turned his side to her but dared not look her in the eye. Kagome looked at him but did not say a word. "The first one…" Inuyasha paused. "The first one…" He seemed to have to gather his nerves before continuing. 

'Don't ask me how long ago it happened because I can't remember. It must have been more than 50 years ago though…"

            "Drop the net!" A man yelled as four more men obeyed. A young girl was trapped under the heavy net immediately. She struggled in the net only causing herself to be contorted more. A strange red blur zoomed in front of her and beheaded one of the men standing nearby. 

            Blood spurted on her face and on her sleeveless black dress. She stared at the beheaded body in surprise. She was nearly lying on the dirt ground resting her upper body on her elbows. Her long black hair was draped over her almost like a blanket. 

            "Get the Tranquilizer!" The man yelled as he took two steps away from the trapped girl. The other three men standing near her looked around them for the strange thing that had killed their comrade. Another man ran next to the man who was yelling orders carrying a large barrel gun. He took aim with the gun.

            "Don't shoot the girl." The boss man ordered. 

            "Yes sir." He said. 

            "Inuyasha!" The girl yelled. "Don't come out!" She pushed her body up and leaned on her hands. "They want to shoot you!"

            "Shut up girl!" The boss yelled. 

            Without any warning Inuyasha appeared in front of the girl, blocking the boss's view of her. The three men standing near her took a frightened step away from him. He was wearing a strange old fashion out fit that was entirely red. 

            "Fire." The boss said and the man pulled the trigger. The tranquilizer dart hit Inuyasha in the neck. He didn't flinch or give any indication that he had been hit except when he reached up and pulled out the dart. 

            "Inuyasha, save yourself." The girl cried. 

            "Shut up you stupid girl." He said. "I can't let them take you."

            She closed her mouth and stared at him for a moment before letting her head drop. "Inuyasha…"

            "The dart…" The man who had fired the weapon said as he lowered it. 

            "Hurry and fire another one!" The boss yelled almost in a panic. 

            The man fumbled through his coat for another dart and knocked the darts and their case on the ground. 

            Inuyasha ran forward and grabbed the gun from the man. He bent the barrel and through the gun aside. The man whined slightly in fear as he watched the scene. 

            The boss man took advantage of Inuyasha's interest in the man to run to the girl and smack her upside the head with a rock on the ground. 

            She slumped on to the ground silently with a peaceful slumber present on her face. The wound on her head the man had caused was starting to bleed and the blood was trailing down her face and over her eye.

            Inuyasha smelt the blood and turned around to see the three men and the boss gathering her up. He was about to run to them when the man he was standing near grabbed two darts from the ground in either hand and stabbed them into Inuyasha's back. 

            Inuyasha jerked forward slightly from the forced before sweeping around and clawing the man across the face causing him to scream and run off. 

            He started to walk forward but when he took a step the ground under his feet began to waver. He took another step and nearly collapsed to his knees. He saw the boss and his men carrying her farther and farther away from him. 

            "Wait." The boss said to the men. "I think the tranquilizers are finally kicking in." 

            The other men stopped walking to look at Inuyasha sway slightly. The expression on his face was a drugged almost dizzy one. The boss started to laugh. 

            "Not so tough now are you, half breed." He turned to his men and continued to speak, "I think we should take him and the priestess."

            The girl opened her eyes slightly just in time to see Inuyasha hit the ground with a loud thud. She widened her eyes, "Inuyasha!" She yelled. 

            "Shut up, we can't have you using your powers on us…" One of the men holding her net off the ground spoke. 

            "Yeah, so keep quite or we-" another started. 

            "Inuyasha!" she screeched in a panic. "Inuyasha."

'They took us to a strange place with hallways filled with cells on either side with people reaching out. They would strap me to a wall in a completely white room and send electrical rays through the walls, trying to see if they could either drain the strength I had as a half breed, or try to shock the demon out of me.'

'And the girl…I only ever saw her once…she looked as though she was thrown into a blender and turned on High.  She hard dark circles under her eyes and her long hair was tied into a matted braid. She hardly resembled the once beautiful girl she had been. I felt it was all my fault, that if I wasn't there they wouldn't be putting her under such rigorous treatment.'

            Inuyasha stopped talking and sighed deeply. He looked at Kagome who was staring back at him with a sad expression. 

            "Meh," He said as he crossed his arms. "But that's all in the past now."

            "But…don't you want to see her again?" Kagome asked. She stood up clenching the blanket from the bed around body.

            Inuyasha looked at her with a slightly menacing expression. "I couldn't see her even if I wanted to…that was 50 years ago, and she was human."

            "That's right…you said you were a half breed…" Kagome stated more than asked.

            Inuyasha seemed to growl slightly at the word 'half breed'. "I'm half human, and half demon." He said. "My mother was human and my father was demon."

            "Oh." Kagome said realizing she had offended him in some way. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

            "So don't be sorry then." Inuyasha said. "But I guess there would be a small chance that she could be still alive."

            "You don't look very old…" Kagome began.

            "I age slower than humans because of my demon half." He answered simply.

            "Oh, I see." Kagome took a step towards him, eyeing his silver dog-ears.

            Inuyasha followed her gaze; "They're my curse and my gift." He said. 

            Kagome took another step towards him. "Can I…"

            "I don't like for people to touch my ears." Inuyasha retorted. 

            "Oh I understand." Kagome took a step back. 

            "But…" Inuyasha eyed Kagome wearily. "I suppose since you can hear me…" He kneeled on one knee and bowed his head slightly.

            Kagome stared at his silver mane astonished. 

            "Well?" he called. 

            Kagome walked forward and reached out with one of her hands while the other continued to clench the blanket around her body. 

            She gently touched his ear and began to rub it tenderly. Inuyasha did not protest so she released the blanket that came rippling down to her feet. She touched both his ears and then suddenly stopped. She knelt down to be eye level with the already kneeling Inuyasha. 

            "Inuyasha…" she started. 

            He looked at her with protest on his lips, but she continued. 

            "I promise that I will do all within my power to prevent you from ending up at that asylum again." Kagome retained her serious expression for a moment before smiling sweetly. 

            "You don't have to do anything…I don't need anyone's help." Inuyasha stood up and was about to leave the small room he paused and released a defeated sigh, "Don't get into any trouble, I don't want to have to come and rescue you."

            Kagome watched him leave with a smug smile on her face. 'He pretends he's so tough.' She thought, 'But I can see the fear in his eyes.'

*******************************************

Well…well…well…hmph…

Yeah…I know you people don't like to read these so…

Yeah…

Hmmm

Review?


	12. Falling Through the Stars

Unstable

Falling through the Stars

The sun rose with an almost menacing glow. The light played cruel illusions on the disassembled machinery of the Carnival. The Ferris wheel was lying in pieces at the very edge of the small field the Carnival had chosen. It looked like a slumbering dragon the way it reflected the light of the rising sun. There were several Carnies scattered about with mats sleeping along side the humble beast of a Ferris wheel. They looked like ants compared to the monster's magnificent size.

Most of the other rides were lying on the ground in the same manor the Ferris wheel was, while others were only covered in a tarp. There were trailers where the more important Carnies slept, five in all. Three were large mini-vans that were reconstructed on the inside and took the appearance of a miniature bedroom. The outside of all the vehicles were painted according to who slept in them. Only one trailer remained untouched by paint, it was bright silver and reflected the sun brighter than any other object in the Carnival.

Inuyasha could only guess that the trailer belonged to the boss. It was amazing how shiny and seemingly clean it looked. It was like a diamond in the ruff. He walked up to the strangely bright trailer and gently ran a finger along the back bumper. He brought his finger to his face a frowned.

"Not a fleck of dust." He said.

"Of course there wouldn't be," a female Carnie said from behind Inuyasha. She was wearing a silk robe, which was decorated with dancing blue flowers in front of a red background. A silk tie, matching the robe, was tied around her waste as tight as possible. On her feet were white high heels that were scuffed on the bottom from wear.

Inuyasha still had his back to the girl and was staring at the silver wonder in front of him. The girl cocked an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips.

"Hello?" She said rudely. "I'm talking to you with the long white hair." She snapped her fingers in an attempt to get his attention.

Inuyasha made no motion to indicate he had the slightest idea she was there. He just couldn't understand why he was suddenly overwhelmed with the scent of bad perfume.

"Mister," she said. She finally reached forward and tapped him on his shoulder only to receive a startled jump from Inuyasha as he spun around.

"Who are you?" he said, not expecting an answer.

"Elvira." She said. She bowed deeply revealing some cleavage from beneath her robe in the process.

Inuyasha only stared at her with a serious expression. He assumed she had introduced herself and decided to play as if he could hear.

"Well…bye." He decided not to give her a reason for his sudden departure he also didn't care to give her one. He walked briskly away from her and towards the opposite end of the field. He had no predetermined destination; he just didn't like people.

"Excuse me, sir." She chased after him and her heels clicked on the hard dirt ground.

Inuyasha winced as the bad perfume smell became stronger so he began took wider and faster steps.

"Sir!" She nearly yelled but stopped walking altogether when Inuyasha broke into a brisk run. "What a jerk." She stated.

"I couldn't agree more." Kagome stepped out from the trailer she had spent the night in. It was a dull gray color and had bright red paint plastered on the side that said, 'Nuniki the Magician'. Below the words, was a picture of a man wearing a suit and top hat with his arms out stretched.

"Do you know him?" the girl questioned.

"Yes," Kagome said. She walked closer to the girl and shook her head. "But sometimes I wish we'd never met…"

"I can understand where you're coming from. By the way, I am Elvira." She held her hand out for Kagome to shake.

"Kagome."

Elvira took Kagome's hand and shook it with one firm gesture before releasing it and smiling at her. "I'm the flying wonder." She said.

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"The trapeze act, you know." Elvira pointed to the only thing in the entire Carnival that had not been taken down. It was four large poles all the same distant apart with ropes connecting all of them, from one of the diagonal pairs; a miniature swing was swaying in the breeze. A small brown net was below the entire fixture, which was at least three stories high.

"Amazing." Kagome said as she admired the crude yet stable look of the poles.

"Wanna give it a go?" Elvira jabbed the air near Kagome's arm.

"Oh no, it looks much to dangerous." Kagome took a step away from Elvira.

"Oh no it isn't, it's safer than the merry-go-round, now come on." Elvira grabbed Kagome's lower arm and dragged her towards the poles and ropes.

"I'm afraid of hights." Kagome said as she tried to struggle out of Elvira's strangely tight grip. Where was Inuyasha when you needed him?

"You know what they say," Elvira said as she arrived at the ladder that needed to be climbed to reach the top.

"No I don't…" Kagome squinted to see the top and noticed that each corner pole was actually two poles about two feet apart with a ladder leading up to a small square platform.

"The only way to get over a fear is to go through it." Elvira released Kagome's arm and with one great heave pushed her up the ladder about three feet. Kagome was frozen with shock and disbelief. She gripped the rungs of the ladder in her hands and looked down slightly at Elvira who she was only slightly taller than even considering her sudden growth spurt.

"No one says that." Kagome said.

"Sure they do." Elvira smiled. "Now get up there, I'm going to go the pole adjacent to this one." Elvira pushed Kagome up two feet for good measure before trotting off to the pole beside Kagome's.

Kagome gulped and looked up, "Well I've gone this far…"

"Have you heard?"

"Yeah, it was terrible."

"And to think she was doing so much better."

"It's a real shame."

Two nurses whispered to one another as they walked by a newly rested and revived Sango. Sango stopped and turned around to stare at the backs of the two women as they strolled down the hallway towards the playroom.

"What's so terrible?" she asked, but the nurses were already out of earshot. Sango sighed and started to walk towards the lobby. Sango had arrived a little over an hour ago and had gone straight to the playroom in search of Shippo, who she found dozing on the couch. But, to her surprise, she also found Miroku sleeping directly next to the boy. On the screen was a game over sign blinking in annoyed repetition. Sango had decided to leave them to their sleep.

"Kikyo," Sango said as she pushed the double doors open and walked into the lobby. There were several men near one wall all staring at it with blank wonder. They all looked the same and were all wearing the blue uniform of the asylum. One woman who had brought in her younger sister was sitting in the guest seats that had been pushed away from the wall the men were all overly occupied with.

"Ignore them all." Kikyo said as she stood up so Sango could see her face over the shelves on the desk. "Their all nuts in the end."

"It's my job to determine how nuts, though." Sango said as she eyed the men wearily.

"Don't worry, none of those are yours." Kikyo said with an assuring voice.

"So who do I get left with?" Sango asked.

"Well…you know how patients can book times to see a doctor?" Kikyo asked.

"Yeah…?" Sango said with uncertainty. Where was Kikyo going with this?

"And you know stay in patients have a certain amount they can request and how they receive more every month?" Kikyo dragged on the news.

"Yes, yes I know. I do work here." Sango leaned on the high shelves of the desk.

"And you know how Miroku's been here for so long and how he hasn't used any?" Kikyo gave a very fake smile to Sango.

"Yeah…" Sango narrowed her eyes. This better not be going where she thought it was going.

"Well…" Kikyo tapped a pen on the shelves.

"Out with it!" Sango yelled.

"Miroku booked you for the next three days." Kikyo said in one breath and suddenly became emerged with something interesting on the computer.

"WHAT?" Sango yelled but Kikyo gave her no response. "This is ridiculous!" She turned away from Kikyo finding no living soul there and turned to the audience of people that had begun to stare at her. The men by the wall had turned around and were now staring blankly at her while the woman stared at her with startled horror.

"I can not believe he would do this to me!" Sango balled her hands into fists. She walked forward towards the men and their interesting wall giving them all glares of death. "What does he think I am? Does he think I'm some kind of puppet that he can bend to his every whim? I do have better things to do with my time, and one of them is not babysitting some immature, selfish, degrading, jerk who thinks he's the sexiest thing that ever walked the planet."

One of the men took a small step away from her in an almost fearful way. The other men followed in unison and Sango only glared at them with more anger.

"What about my other patients!" She screamed, directing her voice at the man nearest her. As soon as she had finished her sentence he burst into tears and ran out of the asylum and into the street. The other men's expressions changed to surprise and they looked around at each other as if the other man would return and complete them.

"Um…they were okay with it." Kikyo called to her.

"What about my personal life?" Sango grabbed the collar of another man's shirt, who stared at her in pure shock before collapsing to the ground in a cold faint. Sango's hand remained suspended in the air where she had been holding his collar for a moment before she clenched it and closed her eyes.

She walked closer to the wall with her hands now behind her back. She stood with her side to the wall and faced another man. She opened her eyes and pointed at the man, who screamed in horror before she was able to speak a word and turned around and ran straight into another wall. He fell to the ground and remained motionless.

Kikyo was watching Sango with an expression of shocked interest. "These men have never showed any more emotion than an orange." Kikyo whispered to herself in awe.

Sango stared at the man on the floor as if he were merely a disheveled flowerbed. "Miroku has no consideration for others." She whined. She pounded on the wall lightly and lowered her head. Her high ponytail fell forward over her shoulder in a dramatic gesture. "Why." She said with gritted teeth. She pulled her hand away from the wall and let it slam into it, leaving a small imprint in the dull paint.

"Don't be upset." The single remaining man said to her. He put a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder and patted it.

"I'm not upset!" Sango shrugged off his touch and stormed across the lobby floor and through the double doors that led towards the offices. She would have slammed them if they weren't so heavy.

As soon as she was gone Kikyo got on the intercom and called for assistance to retrieve a run away patient and two unconscious ones.

The remaining patient returned to his wall and stared at the small concave Sango had left as if it had always been there. The poor sister was just looking from one person to another with a shocked yet slightly angry look.

"Amazing," Kikyo said, as the men appeared to retrieve the snoozing men. "She achieved in 5 minutes what many doctors cannot accomplish in 5 years, but was it intentional?"

"Of course it was." Miroku appeared leaning on the shelves behind Kikyo. She turned to him and gave him a questionable look. "Sango doesn't ever blow up like that, she would rather kill me softly with revenge."

"Or just kill you." Kikyo stated.

"Yes well, that not being the point…AHEM…She saw these men, assessed the situation, and took the action she thought was necessary."

"Well now that you say that, it doesn't sound like Sango to go mad." Kikyo said. "But she will be angry at you, you better go talk to her." Kikyo pointed in the direction Sango had stormed off in. "In her office. Now."

Miroku gave Kikyo a solute before walking calmly in the direction she had pointed. His walk may have been calm but his mind was racing with things he would say to Sango to calm her down.

The truth: he was a wreck.

Kagome clenched the poles on either side of her and tried not to look down. She was finally at the top of the trapeze. Elvira waved to her from the pole beside her before picking up a long stick that was leaning against her poles. Kagome estimated that the pole was about six feet long.

"Now," Elvira yelled. "Watch closely."

A sharp wind blew for an instant and Kagome dropped to her knees to keep her balance. She clenched the pole to her right in a way a child would hold a security blanket.

Elvira balanced the pole in both her hands and held it in front of her. She started to walk along a thicker rope that was attached to her set of poles and stretched all the way to the set of poles that was diagonal to Kagome. Kagome gasped in amazement when Elvira reached the center of the long rope.

The expression of concentration on Elvira's face only made Kagome worry more. Time pressed on and Elvira was nearly to the end of the rope. Another gust of wind caused Kagome to close her eyes tight and squeeze the pole closer to her body. She opened her eyes and saw Elvira dangling from the rope by her hands and her long stick was lying uselessly on the net.

The net.

Kagome calmed down when she realized the net would catch Elvira if she fell. Elvira turned to Kagome and gave her a kind smile.

"Don't worry." She called to Kagome. "I can get back up."

Elvira did just that. Kagome watched her swing her legs forward and wrap them around the rope and contort her body so she was sitting on the rope. She pulled her self the rest of the way to the platform and crawled up onto it. As soon as she was on it, she jumped up and outstretched her arms to an invisible audience.

She waved to Kagome and removed a long metal pole with a hook on the end from a strap on the platform and retrieved the swing with it. She returned the hook to it's right full place and held the swing in her hand.

"Now, when I say jump, jump towards me." Elvira yelled.

Kagome nodded and slowly started to stand up in a very shaky manor. She stared at Elvira.

Elvira jumped whilst gripping the swing in her hands. "Jump!" she yelled just before she reached the climax of the swing.

Kagome made no attempt to move, instead she just continued to stare at Elvira as the swing descended back towards the platform.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled from way below her. He was standing just below her next to the pair of poles. Kagome couldn't make out his expression because she was frozen where she stood. She was still staring straight ahead.

"Jump!" Elvira yelled again in mid-air. "JUMP!"

Perhaps the urgency in Elvira's voice knocked Kagome out of her coma. She looked around as if startled by the sudden sound before comprehending what it said.

"Kay!" Kagome yelled back and released her grip on the pole and leapt forward into the air. For a moment it felt like she was flying. The cool morning air was sweeping by her in a way she had never thought possible. Then she felt something grab onto her outstretched hands and yank her down quickly.

"Gotcha!" Elvira declared as she gripped Kagome's wrists. Kagome looked up and smiled at her before quickly closing her eyes as the swinging motion pulled them upward slightly. "Now I'm gonna let you drop into the net. Make sure you fall on your back."

Kagome nodded with her eyes still closed. The instant Elvira released her Kagome felt the air rush past her. She felt her heart jump into her chest and a sense of freedom envelope her. Time passed slowly as Kagome fell towards the net. She was able to enjoy the bird like feeling she was receiving from the fall.

It ended abruptly when her back hit the net. She bounced back into the air a few feet before striking the net again. Kagome turned around in mid-air and gripped the net with her hands to prevent herself from bouncing again.

"Kagome have you gone insane?" Inuyasha screamed from below her. He was underneath the net looking up at her. The net was a least a foot above his head. Kagome looked down at him with a wide smile on her face.

"No! It's much better than that!" Kagome called to him. There was a vibration in the net near her and Kagome turned her head to see Elvira lying next to her.

"So you liked it?" Elvira asked happily.

"Did I like it? I loved it!" Kagome squealed.

"Kagome, get down her right now!" Inuyasha demanded. "We have more important things to be doing."

"Like what? Running away?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha grabbed the net near her faced and pulled it closer down so her face would be closer to his. "Fine, you can play around but I am not going back to that asylum!"

No sooner had Inuyasha said that; a violent wind started to erupt from out of nowhere. He released the net and looked up past Kagome and into the sky. Kagome followed his gaze and spotted two helicopters flying over head.

"Shit." Inuyasha said. "They've tracked us somehow."

Kagome turned her head to Inuyasha and looked at him with a pleading expression. "Run." She said. "Run and save yourself."

Inuyasha looked at her angrily and grabbed the net beside Kagome's shoulder with his hand. He slashed through it with his claws causing Kagome to fall to the ground beside him.

"Ouch…" She said as she pried herself off the ground.

"Hey!" Elvira yelled. "You better pay for that!"

"Come on." Inuyasha said to Kagome. He picked her up by the collar of her shirt and felt something-sharp prick his finger. He pulled his hand away and looked at her back. "Take off your shirt." He said.

"WHAT?" Kagome turned onto her back and reversed away from Inuyasha.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He yelled at her. " I think there's a tracking devise on your collar."

"Number 5!" A loud voice boomed from one of the helicopters. "Surrender peacefully."

"What did they say?" Inuyasha asked Kagome in a very simple voice.

"Surrender." Kagome said as she rose to her knees. "That wasn't very nice to cut the net. You could have at least warned me."

"Don't be such a wimp." Inuyasha said. "I'm leaving. Either come or be left behind." He turned from the grounded Kagome and headed towards the woods in the calmest manor Kagome had ever seen him express.

Kagome stared after him on the ground for a moment until the wind from the Helicopters became unbearable and she had to look up.

"NUMBER FIVE!" A man with an intercom was leaning out the open door of the lower Helicopter. The other helicopter was slightly higher and closer to Inuyasha's position. Kagome also noticed what appeared to be a machine gun sticking out of its open hull. "WE WILL OPEN FIRE!"

Kagome saw the man give up in his attempt to speak to the ear-less fool. He disappeared into the flying machine that was inching closer and closer to the ground.

Kagome's hair was flying about with a mind of its own because of the heavy wind the helicopter was producing. Elvira was griping the netting with all her might, trying not to be flung around like a rag doll.

Inuyasha was gone by the time Kagome looked back in his direction. She sighed with a defeated and sad feeling. She really had only hindered him on his journey. They would have never found him if it wasn't for her. Kagome reached behind her and felt the inside collar; a sharp prick caused her to pull her arm away quickly and look at her finger.

A small dot of blood was pushing its way to the surface through a small hole in her finger. Kagome sucked on it absently and began to stand up. She walked out from under the net and stared at the helicopters that were no longer stationary. One was flying over the forest searching it for the vanished Inuyasha and the other seemed to be interested in Kagome.

"GIRL!" It yelled. The man appeared in the window again. He seemed to give a wave to the pilot who instantly began to land the helicopter. Kagome covered her face and crouched to her knees to prevent the sand from blowing into her eyes. She finally looked up when the wind started to die down.

A few yards away the helicopter was planted firmly on the ground in the center of the carnival. It was amazing the skill the pilot had since he had not ran into any of the rides.

By now many Carnies were awake but remained in their beds and made no attempt to approach the helicopter. It looked like Kagome was on her own.

The man jumped out of the Helicopter and headed straight for Kagome.

"Koga!" She cried.

"Come on, let's get you out of here. I suppose you're traumatized after being kidnapped like that." Koga, still wearing the blue uniform from work, grabbed Kagome's arm and hauled her towards the Helicopter. Kagome was unable to argue against his grip and followed him into the large contraption.

"Kidnapped?" Kagome questioned. "I wasn't kidnapped!" She yelled but the pilot had turned the blades on full blast to take off and Koga could no longer hear her. There were four seats on the metal bird. Two next to each other and behind the pilot; the other two were against the opposite wall facing them. Each seat was a nasty green color with strange stains and the seat belts were just like airplane seat belts.

'Yeah like, a little thin strap of cloth is really gonna save you if we crash.' Kagome thought as Koga pushed her into one of the seats. She grabbed the two thin straps that would be her lifeline and clipped them together. Koga stood and gripped a bar that was just above the open door.

The radio began to buzz with a man's voice and Kagome could only make out half he said behind the buzz of the helicopter. She guessed it must have been the other helicopter's pilot.

"Out…woods…nothing…tree…movement…shooting…" rang the radio.

Suddenly an eruption of gunfire rang from Kagome's left towards the woods. A strange feeling surged in her stomach and a cold chill ran up her spin. She looked out the open window in the direction the echoing gunfire was ringing from. All she could see was the canopy of a vast forest. The forest Inuyasha had calmly walked into.

Koga yelled something at the pilot but Kagome didn't pay attention to him. She unbuckled her belt and knelt on all fours. Koga was to busy yelling over the noise at the pilot to notice her crawling towards the open window.

The wind was unbearable and Kagome had trouble seeing because her hair kept getting in her face. She reached the edge and looked down towards the fertile earth. Below her brown dust was emitting from the forest. They were circling the cloud in a vulture fashion as if Inuyasha would appear magically to them.

"They must of missed…" she said so softly she wasn't even sure she had spoken it out loud.

The Helicopter made a jerky movement in the opposite direction they were circling; Kagome was flung back into the Helicopter several feet and nearly landed on her feet from the force of the swing. Koga looked at her and panic blossomed onto his face.

She saw him mouth her name, or did he scream it? Kagome couldn't hear anything but the buzzing of the wind in her ears. The helicopter did another strange jerk but towards the open window this time.

She might have been able to grab Koga's outstretched hand if she had tried. But she only allowed her body to zip out the open door and into the open sky.

Kagome finally realized how low they actually were. She supposed the sky would be lovely if she could see it but the only thing she could see was the ground rushing up towards her at an astounding speed.

At the rate she was going she would hit the dead center of the brown smoke that was starting to fizzle out from the gunfire.

If she was going to die at least she was getting to fly first.

Kagome closed her eyes and was able to turn her body in mid air with amazing grace so she was facing towards the blue sky and the circling vultures. There wasn't a single cloud in the morning sky she noted when she opened her eyes.

"Now I won't see death coming." She said as she sensed herself closing in on her doom.

She felt the ground envelop her as soon as she hit it.

OMG I KILLED HER!!

Well damn now who's gonna love Inuyasha? Kikyo? Or maybe the raven hair mystery girl? What about Sango? What about you???

Or maybe Kagome was dreaming…wouldn't that suck?

I hate things like that, yet I love them! Like that OTHERS movie or even the 6th sense. Freaky things.

Well I know I take forever to update but the next chapter will come much sooner. How do I know?? Cause it's already written, I just love to torture you!!!

MUAHAHAHAHA

Evil. Pure evil.

Well…

Review?


	13. Dancing Feathers

Unstable

Dancing Feathers

Inuyasha caught the falling Kagome before she even entered the canopy of the forest. The sudden force of her weight caused both him and her to crash through the branches of the trees. Inuyasha shielded Kagome as best he could with his arm. He hit the ground hard and rolled forward with Kagome still in his arms.

He came to a stop on his back with Kagome lying on his chest breathing hard. She was clenching the front of his shirt and was squeezing her eyes shut. Inuyasha was also breathing hard from the risk he had taken leaving his hiding spot. He stared at the top of the trees for a moment before closing his eyes.

"Kagome…" he whispered.

"God?" she questioned.

"Kagome, it's me." Inuyasha slowly started to sit up bringing Kagome with him. He shook her slightly, trying to force her to open her eyes.

Kagome opened her eyes and came face to face with a giant nose. She squealed slightly. Inuyasha quickly covered her mouth with his hand and looked around cautiously.

"Shh. They nearly got me earlier." Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer to him as if she would vanish from site the closer she was to him.

"Hut har hoo hoing?" Kagome asked through Inuyasha's hand. When he didn't remove it or give any indication he had heard her she licked him.

"Ah." Inuyasha pulled his hand away and wiped it on the forest floor. "That's nasty."

"Well you wouldn't listen." She said.

"Well…I'm listening now." Inuyasha removed his arms from around her and placed them on the ground on either side of him.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly. Her hands were resting lightly on his chest and her stare was directed straight into the depths of his soul.

"Hiding." Inuyasha whispered. "See?" He looked up towards the tree branches.

Kagome looked up and could see the Helicopters circling their area through the leaves. She then realized what had just happened. She looked at Inuyasha with a surprised expression.

"You saved me."

"Well I wasn't about to let you fall to your death right on top of me." Inuyasha answered.

Kagome continued to stare at Inuyasha with a stunned expression. "I would have died…" she managed before the dizziness was too much for her to handle. She fell limply onto Inuyasha's chest still sitting up slightly.

"Women…" Inuyasha muttered before grabbing Kagome by her shoulders. "Making men do all the work." He stood up, bringing the unconscious Kagome with him by her shoulders, effortlessly. He lifted her onto his shoulder and rested a hand on her upper thigh. "Now, I need a nice place to hide."

* * *

"Save me!" Sango exclaimed to Dr. Higurashi as she passed him in the hall way on the way to her office.

"From what?" He asked, looking around. He stopped in front of her and titled his head to the side.

"HEY!" Miroku yelled to Sango as he burst through the doors a few yards behind her.

"That." Sango stated.

"Oh I see," Dr. Higurashi said with a sly smile. "I heard you and him are going to be having some real quality time."

"Shut up." Sango said just as Miroku appeared behind her. He put a friendly hand on her shoulder that Sango shrugged off.

Miroku ignored her rude gesture and decided to speak to Dr. Higurashi. "So how's that daughter of yours doing?"

Dr. Higurashi frowned and shook his head. "I just got word from Koga that she fell from the Helicopter…luckily, Number Five did catch her and Koga believes she is alive. I'm just worried that they might kill her to get to Number Five."

"Aren't you worried Number Five might hurt her like he's done to so many other people?" Sango asked with a very concerned tone.

"No." Dr. Higurashi said flatly. "Number Five would never hurt her. I don't know why I believe that…I just do."

"Does she know about…" Sango began but decided not to finish her sentence.

"I'm not sure…He probably told her what he told us in the very beginning." Dr. Higurashi let out a loud exhausted sigh. "That he was electrocuted."

"But we know that's not true." Sango confirmed the obvious.

"What happened to him?" Miroku asked.

Dr. Higurashi looked at the patient, "You know we're not allowed to discuss personal information with patients."

Miroku shook his head, "I won't tell."

"No, Miroku, forget it. Now let's go get started with the first day of my visit to hell." Sango grabbed the sleeve of Miroku's blue patient uniform and pulled him behind her as she made her way towards her office.

"Bye!" Miroku called to Dr. Higurashi.

Dr. Higurashi waved and gave Miroku an unsure smile.

"Ah." Naraku emerged from the office beside the doctor. "Just the person I was looking for."

"Me? What would you want with me?" Dr. Higurashi said.

"I think I have a way we can lure Number Five back here with out violence." Naraku sneered.

"Really? How?" Dr. Higurashi asked.

"With this." Naraku opened the door to his office a little wider to reveal woman sitting on his desk wearing on old-fashioned Kimono. She was clenching a fan in her hand and had dark eye shadow on.

"Isn't that a patient?" Dr. Higurashi questioned.

"Yes, but she's special. Isn't that right Kagura?" Naraku directed his attention to the woman.

"Yes." She said softly.

"How so?" Dr. Higurashi continued with his questions.

"Don't worry about the details, just leave finding him to me." Naraku started to slip into his office.

"I don't know…What about Kagome?"

"You're daughter? Oh, there is nothing to worry about, leave it all to me. I assure she will arrive here safely," Naraku closed the door till a crack revealing his eye was all that remained.

"Well…okay."

"Thank you. You will not be disappointed." Naraku shut the door.

Dr. Higurashi stood in the hallway a moment before heading in his original direction.

The Security Office.

* * *

"Miroku…leave me be." Sango said into the wood of her desk. She had stuffed her head into her arms on the desk after Miroku decided he would be the doctor and Sango the patient.

"Sorry," Miroku shrugged. "Three days…or you get fired."

Sango lifted her head up and stared at Miroku. "What?"

"Since I've been such a good patient for such a long time. If you refuse my will the Board will have no choice but to fire you." Miroku walked forward and rested his hands on Sango's desk.

"You're evil." Sango gagged.

"Awe, you're hurting my feelings… I think I'll need more than three days now…" Miroku said slyly.

Sango gritted her teeth and stood up. She glanced at her digital clock on her desk and pushed past Miroku towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked as he grabbed her arm. Sango swung around with her fist clenched. Miroku grabbed her wrist when it was mere inches from his face. "Naughty, naughty." He said. He held both her arms and pulled her towards him. "Now we need to kiss and make up."

Sango cringed in disgust and brought her knee up hitting her mark dead on. Miroku released her arms and dropped to the ground in pain. Sango glared at him before slamming the door on her way out.

"Sango" Miroku whispered in a high raspy voice.

* * *

Kagome woke once again in a strange bed. She stared at the ceiling a moment trying to piece together where she was. In the middle of the ceiling was a giant watermark that had turned a slight tint of green. From what Kagome could see of the walls made her eyes water. The once bright pink wallpaper was now a dull egg white. She could tell it was once pink because there were large voids of pink remaining were furniture had once lived.

Kagome sat up and realized what she thought had been a bed was actually a mattress in the corner of a disgusting room. There was an old television sitting in the corner diagonal the bed. There was an empty glass sitting on the top of it. It appeared as if someone was trying to discover a new form of bacteria. Kagome threw her blanket off which beside herself, was the only clean thing in the room.

This was when she realized that she was no longer in the clothes she had started the day with. Instead a slightly transparent silk nightgown was draped over her naked body. The neck was cut into a square with beautiful embroidery around the edge. The bottom frayed out at the ends and hung in ringlets below her thin waist. Kagome covered herself with her arms in fruitless embarrassment. There was no one here to see her in this slight nude state, why should she be embarrassed? Kagome stood and the gown flustered with her quick movement. It seemed to make a calm almost distant sound every time Kagome moved her body.

An old rusty radiator was on the wall adjacent to the bed and opposite the closed door. Above the radiator was a bared window.

"Where am I?" She asked as she looked around the room once again. She walked to the window and peered out as far as the black bars would allow her. From what she could guess she was on the third floor in the middle of a huge city. Directly out the window was a brick building and on the second floor Kagome could see a young girl through a wide window.

To Kagome's surprise the girl was wearing only her underwear. She carried a whip in one hand and had black leather gloves and boots on. A man, a very ugly man, appeared into view and jumped on the girl.

"Someone help her!" Kagome screamed, trying to help the seemingly defenseless girl. "Help!" Kagome stared at the window in pure shock till she saw the girl leap up and close the curtains. "Oh…" Kagome said as she realized her mistake, "she's a hooker."

Kagome backed away from the window and quickly ran to the door in horrific fright. She grabbed the handle and discovered it would not turn. She began to shake it with all her might but the only response she received was the sound of wood banging against wood. "Help," she yelled. When there was no reply she yelled louder and began to bang her fists against the wooden door.

After several minutes of yelling and banging Kagome released the door and fell on the floor. Her gown slowly followed her as if it wanted to remain in mid-air. "I'm locked in." she said defeated.

The single light bulb in the center of the room was all the light Kagome received. She stared up at it in desperation. She curled into a fetal position in the center of the room. "Inuyasha…" she muttered, "Where are you?"

* * *

"THREE DOLLARS!" The man at the register yelled louder at the strange man with long silver hair. He held up three of his fingers in an attempt to get the strange man to understand.

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow and pointed to the supply of food on the counter. It really wasn't much. Some chips, a few candy bars and two off brand soft drinks.

"Just take it!" The storekeeper surrendered and pointed to the door. "Go on, leave."

Inuyasha gathered up his trinkets and left without another fuss. The storekeeper never once thought that he had been tricked. Inuyasha's lying skills and ability to convince people into doing what he wanted them to do were never his strong points. But every once in a while a fool would cross his path.

Inuyasha trotted down the muddy sidewalk next the bustling night street. His bear feet were oblivious to the shattered bottles that had once belonged to drunken men who were forced out of nearby bars. His only concern was the fact that he had left Kagome in a whorehouse. How furious he imagined she would be when she woke to discover her old clothes were gone and she was now clothed in a transparent dress.

Or frightened.

This thought caused Inuyasha to break into a solid run. The building was only at the end of the street but it seemed to far away at the moment of his thought. He reached the door to enter the building and pushed himself in. The lock no longer worked and neither did the door handle. He practically leapt up the three flights of stairs and stopped in front of the room he had locked so carefully.

He didn't want anyone getting in…or out. He had, with great precision, dug his nail into the lock and made it so no one, besides himself, could enter or leave. Now, Inuyasha tried to balance the items he had swindled whilst unhitching his elaborate and secret lock. He was able to release the lock with his long sharp nail without so much trouble as slicing warm butter with a knife. He turned the copper handle and the door swung in.

It slammed on the wall opposite causing the cowering girl to jump to her feet and thrust herself against the opposite wall. Inuyasha stood in the doorway a moment admiring the beauty of the body before him. You could just see the outline of her nude body through the gown. It was seductive and left you wanting more. It was also the only gown the other whore's would give up to let her wear. The so-called pimp wouldn't let her enter unless she was dressed 'properly'.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said sternly as he shut the door behind him and entered the room.

Kagome removed her hands from her face and a look of relief flashed across her features. She dashed toward Inuyasha and embraced him so quickly that it caused him to drop his supplies. The drinks rolled across the floor and the chips made a crunching sound when they had met with the cold wood. She squeezed him tightly around his neck. Inuyasha rested his hands on her hips and sniffed in the wonderful scent of her hair.

"I was so scared!" Kagome sobbed into his shoulder. Inuyasha could feel a cool liquid penetrate his shirt. Her body was shaking uncontrollably with the remaining thoughts that had passed her mind in her time alone.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked. "You were locked in. No one could get to you." He gently directed her towards the bed and sat her and himself down on the torn mattress. "I had made sure of that." He added just before pulling her head back so he could look in her eyes. "Did you not trust me?"

Kagome was at a loss for words. Fatigue was setting in, and for what reason she was not sure. Perhaps it was because her cheeks were hot with tears. And her mind restless with the racing thoughts of how she could end up in such a place. And yet there was another reason that made itself present from the back of her mind. Kagome tried to push it away before it could make itself clear to her but the thought won her over and rang loud in her mind as she stared into Inuyasha's golden eyes.

_Because,_ It echoed. _This man's embrace causes you to yield to his desires. And what he desires now is for you to rest._

"I trust you." Kagome answered with such a tone that Inuyasha had no doubt that it was the truth. He gently combed his fingers through her raven hair.

He nodded and something in Kagome's eyes caused him to release her and stand in the center of the room. His cheeks burned red and he turned his back to her as to hide it.

'What is wrong with me?' he thought. 'I am stronger than this.'

"Inuyasha?" Kagome grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders like a shawl. It covered her delicate form from the world's eye. "Why are we here?"

"What better place to hide," Inuyasha began after his composure had returned to him. "Then in the middle of a bustling city, and in a whorehouse."

"A what house!" Kagome nearly choked. "Is that… is that…. Is that."

"Spit it out already." Inuyasha insisted.

"Is that why I am wearing this most revealing out fit." Kagome spat out in a single high volume breath.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at her. "No, I just thought it would be fun."

"You perv!" Kagome yelled. She grabbed the closest thing to her, which was a pillow, and hurled it at him with as much might as she could muster. It hit him smack in the face only because Inuyasha had made no attempt to stop it. It landed at his feet with a feather soft puff, leaving a trail of feathers across the room and plastered on his face.

Inuyasha retrieved the pillow and smirked. "I was only kidding, it was the only way to get you in here for free." He jumped at Kagome, brandishing the pillow as a weapon. Kagome squealed and backed away further onto the bed with a huge playful smile across her face. She covered her face with her arms as Inuyasha softly struck her, causing thousands of feathers to float across the air.

Kagome retrieved the last pillow from the bed and jumped to her feet on the ridged mattress. The thoughts of where she was and why she was there evaporated from her mind at the moment. Inuyasha was only sitting slightly on the mattress and the perfect distance away from Kagome to whack him several times before he was able to stand and get good hits in of his own.

The first hit she got caused a ruffle of white feathers to explode nearly blinding her. The blanket that was once wrapped around her was now lying forgotten at her feet.

Inuyasha smiled playfully at her and grabbed her pillow before she was able to hit her mark. Even this motion made feathers appear. Inuyasha spat and gagged as some made there way into his mouth. Kagome was laughing and smiling in such a way that it was contagious. Inuyasha tried not to but was unable to stifle his laughter.

He pulled the pillow towards him causing the giggling Kagome to fall on top of him. Inuyasha fell back upon the bed with a giggling girl laughing into his chest.

"It really isn't that funny." He said as he reached up and removed the feather tormenting his mouth.

"I can't help it." Kagome laughed. She looked up from his chest. "You look so funny when you're happy. Perhaps it's cause you're not often happy."

Inuyasha's smile faded and he pulled himself up just enough to lean on his elbows. Kagome was still laying on him. He could feel her. The round voluptuous breasts that he could not see were being pressed tightly to his own chest. He fought back the blush and decided to study her face.

She was still smiling widely. A gleam of something long forgotten was twinkling in her captivating eyes. Feathers were sticking out of her dark hair only radiating her facial features more. How beautiful she was.

Inuyasha's mind drifted to a time where this type of expression was one he saw often. He traveled to a time where there were no cities but only open fields of tall grass he could lay in and soak up the rays of the afternoon sun. A girl was by his side. She had long raven hair and wore a brown dress that rested loosely on her body. She turned to him and smiled a big beautiful smile. Inuyasha felt at peace. He felt as though there were no evil in the world.

Only he, the field and the girl.

Kagome's voice brought Inuyasha away from his blissful memory. He had not heard what she had said and stared at her a moment in bewilderment.

"You looked so happy just then." Kagome said. "What were you thinking of?" She asked fondly.

"A time I can never return to."

"Of course you can't." Kagome said. She pried herself off him and leaned her back against the wall.

He stared at her with slight anger burning in his eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"It's the past. I don't think you should dwindle on the past too much. I mean it's come and gone. You need to worry more about the future and the present. Those are the things that really matter. For instance, I'm here, now. I'm not going to be leaving anytime soon. I plan to stick by your side and help you out, Inuyasha. I believe, since, I am the only one who can hear you then it must have been fate that we met." Kagome finished with a big sigh. "Fate, is something I am not sure I believe in, though.

Inuyasha stared at the ceiling, "Don't feel like you owe me anything."

"I don't," Kagome said before Inuyasha could issue anymore complaints.

"Good, then." Inuyasha removed himself from the bed and gestured toward the light switch. "Sleep is all we can really do till morning."

Kagome nodded and retrieved one of the mutilated pillows. She laid herself down and stared at Inuyasha. "Where are you going to sleep?" she asked.

"The floor." He said.

"Nonsense, and get infested with got knows what disease?" Kagome sat up slightly and threw the blanket off her and backed up towards the wall. "This bed is big enough for two."

Inuyasha said nothing but his expression caused Kagome to return the blanket across her body. "Fine then." She said slightly hurt. "Be that way."

"I will." Inuyasha said as he flicked off the light. The room was flooded with darkness and the rustling of Inuyasha trying to get comfy on the floor. Kagome heard a strange crunch sound and realized he must have run over a bag of chips. After several moments of darkness Kagome could see the outline of his body with the assistance of the streetlights outside.

He was jolting back and forth in his effort to get comfy. After several minutes of noise Kagome sat up and removed the blanket.

"Stop that racket and get your ass over here." She said sternly. Inuyasha was obeying her and in the bed before his pride was able to catch up with him. But by that time it was too late. Kagome had already thrown the large blanket over him and herself. The warmth was enough to trap him in the bed beside her.

They were facing one another and he could see that her eyes were closed. Inuyasha really was exhausted. He had hauled Kagome quite a long way and had communicated with more than enough people today. He was ready for sleep. But he studied Kagome's face in the slightly orange light from the street outside.

Kagome opened one of her eyes and said in a low raspy voice, "Sleep now, stare at me later."

Inuyasha glared at her but it was to late, she had already closed her eye. So instead he huffed and settled for turning his back to her. Sometimes, she could be so ignorant.

'But then again,' Inuyasha thought. 'I suppose I can be, too.'

* * *

Hooray!

Just happy to be finished with chapter.

Please…

Review?


	14. The Lady of Our Way

Unstable

Lady of Our Way

"_The light that shines upon us in our time of need is not something we should take lightly. The Lady of our Way smiles upon us with her sweet song and blesses the few gifted children. They will be the ones to lead this world to peace. Each child seated before the thrown of the Holy Lady of our Way has a separate task that they all must accomplish. And you, my child, have the hardest task of all…"_

Kagome awoke with a start and sat up just as quickly. She rubbed her forehead in an attempt to make the pounding headache dissipate. With no luck, she sighed and turned to the lump of warm flesh to her right.

Inuyasha was sleeping peacefully for a change. He was turned away from her, but Kagome saw the steady rise and fall of his chest as he took in air and released it. The sun was still far from rising and the night air chilled Kagome through the blanket and her thin nightgown.

Kagome carefully crawled over the slumbering Inuyasha and towards the heater below the window. The cold wood floor stung her legs as she sat in front of it. She searched for a knob in the orange light from the street outside.

"It's no use." Kagome whispered to herself. "I can't see a thing. It's too dark." She stood and her gown twirled in the night air before falling peacefully against her skin. Kagome flipped the switch on and the room was flooded with light. Kagome stared at Inuyasha and he gave no indication that the light was a problem for his sleep.

She returned to the old heater and found the controls with no problem. She turned it on and set the level of heat to medium. She turned the light back off and stood for a moment till her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. She crawled quietly over Inuyasha but the hard mattress gave way under one of her feet and she fell on top of him.

Inuyasha mumbled and rolled over pinning Kagome between him and the mattress. Kagome attempted to pry herself loose but her strength was no match for Inuyasha's weight. Her arms were pinned under her own body and she couldn't even roll him off her.

"What luck." She whispered. "Inuyasha, wake up."

No response.

"Inuyasha." Kagome spoke louder and shook under his weight. His head was directly beside her own and she could hear his breathing in her ear. "Idiot, wake up!"

Inuyasha pulled his head back and looked into her eyes. Kagome blinked when he continued to stare at her and didn't move. His eyes were partially closed and his mouth slightly open.

"Inuyasha?" She questioned. He titled his head to the side in a cute puppy type of manor. "Could you please get off me?"

He titled his head more to the side and Kagome realized that he was still asleep. She sighed in frustration and stared past his head at the ceiling.

"But I don't wanna!" Inuyasha said in a child like way. "You're so warm and comfy!" he argued.

"But you're squashing me!" Kagome wiggled against his weight once again.

She looked at him and stopped her squirming. His face was mere inches from hers and he was staring at her with great intensity.

"Kagome," he said in a more manly fashion. "You have pretty eyes." And with that he slumped against her shoulder back into his peaceful sleep.

"Uh, Inuyasha? Inuyasha? Inuyasha! Get your fat ass off of me!"

* * *

When Miroku finally found Sango she was sitting in the outside playroom. He hid behind a tree to watch her sit. The outside playroom was a thing of beauty. Trees and flowers surrounded a beautiful pond that was home too many varieties of carp. Sango was sitting on a marble bench in front of the pond. The light that came from the moon produced a soft and elegant light across Sango's facial features.

Miroku crouched lower to the ground and watched as Sango stood. She removed her hospital jacket to reveal a beautiful purple dress.

Fringe lined the bottom and the short sleeves. The dress was short but long enough so that when Sango moved it waved in the night air. She walked forward and stepped into the lake. She pulled her foot back when it had touched the water as if it had burned her.

Miroku guessed the water must have been cold, but Sango trudged on till she was waist deep in the water.

'What is she doing?' Miroku thought.

"Oh," Sango spoke and Miroku snapped out of his train of thought. "Oh, how I wish I were a fish." Sango traced the surface of the water with one of her fingers. "Fish are so lucky. Their minds are incapable of sorrow and grief like human's minds. They are lucky to be spared these terrible emotions. How I wish I could swim beside you, good carp. You, with you're lovely golden scales that shine in the moonlight. You, with you're giant tail that can propel you anywhere you desire."

"Sango…" Miroku whispered.

Sango looked up at the moon and closed her eyes. "Dear moon, you torment me with your beauty; with you're ability to smile upon this wretched planet." Sango's head fell and her bangs hid her eyes. "I can no longer bear to see your smile. That is why…"

Sango stopped speaking and her body trembled violently. Suddenly ripples escaped from near her as tears fell from her eyes and into the icy pond. "Why? Why, are you so cruel to me Lady of Our Way? Why, could you not smile upon me and bless me?"

Miroku's eyes widened. 'I thought the religion of 'The Lady of Our Way' was long forgotten.'

"How come…" Sango yelled. "You chose to take everything away from me? Why do you hate me?" Sango fell to her knees in the water. Her head rested above the reflective liquid. "I never asked for much, just a peaceful and happy life. But no, you decided to rip everything I love away from me. You chose to take the life of my father and my closest friends. But, you did leave me my brother. You left him to me as a reminder…"

Sango gritted her teeth and raised her head once again to the sky. Her long black hair floated around her in the cool water giving it the appearance of blackness. "Now you have stolen his memory! And that is much worse than for him to be dead. I only wish it could have been me instead. And so I sacrifice myself to you, Holy Lady of Our Way, in hopes you will heal my dear Kohaku."

Sango slowly submerged her head in the water of the pond.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled. He ran into the pond splashing water till he was at the spot Sango had been. He searched around with his hands in the frigid water. "Sango!" He yelled again when his hands only found more water.

He fell to his knees and took a deep breath before diving below the surface in search of her. The moon created a glimmer of light in the dark water for him to see. It wasn't enough and Miroku was unable to find the outline of a human body. He released bubbles from his mouth and surfaced only to take another swig of air before diving below the surface again. He was soon in the deeper water and was forced to swim around.

He shook his head in frustration when he needed air again. He swam to the surface and sucked in a mouthful of air. "Sango!" He yelled, out of breath. "SANGO!" He dived again into the water. He swam near the bottom and looked up as to see better. The light of the moon was shining through the top of the water. Miroku touched the bottom only to discover he needed air again. He broke the surface of the water and floated for a moment. "Sango…"

* * *

_"My Child…why do you wish to die?"_

Sango opened her eyes below the water when she heard the voice. She looked around to discover she was floating in what seemed an endless abyss of water.

_"You think that I have not smiled upon you, oh Blessed Child?"_

'Who's there?' Sango thought. 'I must be going crazy cause there's less oxygen going to my brain.'

_"Don't be silly, Blessed Child, it is I, The Holy Lady of Our Way."_

'Have mercy on my tormented soul.' Sango thought

_"Child."_

Sango turned to find a woman wearing an old fashion Kimono reaching out to her. Her wavy black hair floated away from her body like a fan. The Kimono was solid blue with a white ribbon keeping it in place.

_"Now,"_ The mouth of the woman moved. _"You don't think that Kohaku would miss you? You are so inconsiderate, Blessed Child. And what will become of Miroku? He may act rude but he only wants you to be strong, my Child."_

'Kohaku can not miss what he doesn't know. Why did you take his memory away? Why did you ever make him sick to begin with!' Sango yelled in her mind.

The beautiful woman shook her head. _"Was not I that cursed your brother."_

Sango's eyes widened, for the Lady of Our Way cannot lie. 'Then who?'

_"I cannot say, but he is a man that must be stopped. You must believe me, Blessed Child."_ The woman pleaded with both her voice and expression. _"Your brother can be healed but only when this man stops giving him the illness."_

'He's trying to make Kohaku sick?' Sango nearly started to cry below the water.

_"Yes, Blessed Child and the only way to stop this man is to find the goddess. Alas, the goddess's soul is no longer among the after life, but is living in a human body: as a reincarnation. Find the priestess who is wise in the ways of healing and she will lead you to the goddess. And one more thing, Blessed Child, before I go…My name is…"_

'No you mustn't tell me! I am unworthy!' Sango covered her face with her hands. Her ability to move was sluggish because of the lack of oxygen.

The woman smiled and removed Sango's hands. The Lady of Our Way's expression was calm and peaceful. She leaned forward and whispered in Sango's ear.

Sango's eyes widened. 'Yes, My Lady Midoriko, I will do as you ask."

* * *

"Sango!" Miroku screamed in one final attempt.

_"Miroku…"_ The voice was a whisper that seemed to float to him on the moonlight breeze.

"Hello?" Miroku looked around and saw the outline of a woman in the light of the glowing moon. She was standing on the top of the water. Her face was hidden from him by darkness. Her long wavy black hair seemed to swim around her in the night breeze.

_"Miroku…"_ She said again. She pointed down to the water below her. _"Miroku…"_

"Hey!" Miroku began to swim towards her. He dove below the water and swam as fast as his arms and legs would allow. He surfaced near where the strange woman had been standing on the water. "She's gone."

Miroku treaded water and his hand hit something that felt like string. He pulled his hand out of the water to reveal a strange black substance covering it. Miroku stared at it a moment before he realized what it was. "Oh my god." He reached into the water and pulled Sango's motionless body towards him. He held her head above water as he made his way towards land as quickly as possible.

He pulled her onto the muddy bank and laid her on her back. He then set to work reviving her, the only way he knew how. He gently covered her nose and opened her mouth. He took a deep breath and pressed his open mouth to hers and breathed out. He then pulled back and cupped his hands before pressing on her chest one time…two times…three times…

Sango spit up water and Miroku immediately rolled her on her side. She coughed for a few moments before opening her eyes. Miroku lifted her head up so she was in a sitting position. Her once flowing purple dress was now plastered to her skin. Sango's long black hair was becoming matted from the dirt she had laid in and was slumped shaggily over her shoulders.

"Miroku." She whispered when she saw him.

"Shhh…" Miroku put a finger to her lips. He shook his head in an almost sad way. He looked down, hiding his expression from Sango. "What…were you thinking?" He nearly whispered.

Sango said nothing.

"…diving below the water like that." Miroku looked up and immense feeling radiating in his eyes. He put both his hands on Sango's cheeks. "Tell me." He said desperately. "Why you want to leave me behind?"

Sango was at a loss for words. What was she supposed to say? Sorry? It just didn't seem good enough right now.

"I…" Sango began but Miroku covered her mouth with one of his hands.

"No…I heard you earlier. I suppose you do not need to explain yourself." His eyes softened and he rested his forehead on her chin. "I'm just glad I found you in time."

Sango stared with surprise over the top of Miroku's head. The tips of the trees glimmered in the setting light of the moon. To the east a glimmer of red peaked over the horizon. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Yes…" She whispered as she wrapped her arms around Miroku. "I'm glad you found me in time, too."

* * *

The bright light of the sun nailed Inuyasha in the face causing him to whimper and reach for the blanket to pull over his head. He found it was no where in his immediate area and he moaned in frustration.

"I should be the one complaining." He heard Kagome say into his furry ear.

That is when Inuyasha realized he was laying on the poor trapped Kagome. He stared at her cross expression for a moment before jumping up in complete horror.

"What are you trying to do to me?" he yelled.

"Me, trying to do, to you?" She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. "Ah…" She said when she lowered them to her side. "Shouldn't I be asking you, that question? You were the one who pinned me down for more than half the night."

"What?" Inuyasha said acidly. "I did no such thing."

"Sure you didn't. I just decided in the middle of the night, 'Hey, I wonder what it would be like to be trapped under a lump of stone.' Ha, yeah right." Kagome stood up and tore the blanket off the end of the bed. "And stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat." She wrapped the blanket around her body and covered the revealing gown.

Inuyasha shook his head to break the trance she had put on him and glared at her. "Yeah, like anyone would want to see 'that' anyway."

Kagome's bottom lip stuck out slightly. "What are you saying?" She pouted. "Are you saying this…" She dropped the blanket to the floor and stepped away from it. "Isn't sexy?"

Inuyasha took a step away from her towards the television. He gulped down the imaginary lump in his throat.

"Are you saying that…" Kagome walked forward and twirled in a circle. The gown followed her and continued to flow when she had stopped till it bounced lightly off the side of her body and returned to its original position. "This doesn't turn you on?"

Inuyasha shook his head and took another step away from her. He bumped into the television knocking the mold haven cup onto the wooden floor. "Kagome…" he said. "Stop right there."

"It seems to me that my appearance bothers you…huh…well I'll stop if you just answer one question for me."

"Okay." Inuyasha looked at her quizzically.

"How did I come to where this? I mean, did the other hookers dress me?" Kagome asked nicely.

"No." Inuyasha shook his head. This would not end happily.

"The pimp?" Kagome inched closer to Inuyasha who tried to back further into the T. V.

"No…" Inuyasha whimpered.

"Then it must've been." Kagome paused and glared at Inuyasha. "YOU!" an almost demonic voice escaped her mouth. "You pervert!" she slapped him across the face. "You are so inconsiderate!" She jabbed him in the stomach. "You could have woke me up!" She kneed him in the crotch causing him to fall to his knees. "I would have dressed myself!" She high kicked him in the face before turning her back to the fallen Inuyasha. "That's what you get." She huffed.

Inuyasha shakily tried to stand up but failed. He crashed onto the ground with a satisfying thud. Kagome reached over him and switched the T. V. on.

"I wonder if anything good is on."

* * *

"There." Naraku pointed to a five-story building. He and the patient known as Kagura were seated on the roof of the building across the street.

Kagura's feet were dangling over the edge of the roof whilst Naraku stood, safely away from the edge, behind her. She closed her fan and placed it inside the top of her Kimono. It was Naraku who had retrieved the old Kimono for her. It was white with large red rectangles arranged across the fabric. Below that was another layer that was dark blue. Holding everything in place was a yellow ribbon around Kagura's waist. Her short hair was tied into a high ponytail that bounced every time she moved her head.

"Naraku…" She began. "What are you instructions on the girl."

Naraku stared at the back of Kagura's head for a moment and then as if he had already decided long before the conversation had even started he said: "Kill her."

Kagura nodded. She reached into her shirt and removed her ordinary white fan. She covered the lower half of her face with it. She closed her brown eyes and then opened them quickly to reveal they had changed into bright pupiless pink orbs. "As you wish." She said behind the fan before pushing off the side of the building and landing gracefully on the street below; startling a young boy.

She ignored his whimpers of distress and calmly walked across the busy street. A huge truck came bounding by and blocked the boy's view of her for a split second. When the truck had passed the strange woman had vanished.

The boy whimpered louder. "Sh-She's gone!"

Naraku smirked at the boy's distress before turning away and walking to the other end of the building where a man with long silver hair was standing with a very angry expression.

"Ah, Sesshomaru, what a pleasant surprise!" Naraku greeted kindly.

"Why have you released Kagura," Sesshomaru cut to the chase.

"You were always one to get straight to the point."

Sesshomaru's expression hardened.

"Very well, these clumsy buffoons couldn't catch a fly let alone a half demon. And who better for the job than my own sister." Naraku spoke.

"Kagura is hardly the next best choice." Sesshomaru's facial features contorted with anger.

"I shall admit that with out the proper…medication." Naraku reached into his pocket to reveal a vile of purple liquid. "She can be quite rebellious."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side. "What if she is unable to capture my brother and the girl."

"The girl," Naraku almost laughed. "Will be killed if she gets in Kagura's way. And as for Inuyasha, lets just say Kagura has a few new tricks up her sleeve."

"I see." Sesshomaru said. "And what do you plan to do to Inuyasha once you have him?"

"The thing I've been wanting to do all these long years and couldn't even dream of doing until now."

Sesshomaru looked at Naraku who smiled in return. "And that would be?"

"To kill him, of course." Naraku's grin widened and he waved his hand in the air below his waist. "I must be going now." A purple mist appeared below his hand and violently blew around his body; concealing him from view. "Bye."

The mist died away and left Sesshomaru alone on the roof top. "The girl…" he muttered.

* * *

Sango rested peacefully on Miroku's bed in his room. It was a small twin-size bed that was pushed into the far back corner. Miroku was seated at the foot of the bed with a sad almost pitiful look on his face. His room was nothing special. A few posters of super models and a curtained shower in the opposite corner of the bed were all that littered his room.

Miroku sighed and stared down at Sango. She opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile. The bed's dull brown blankets concealed her body.

"How you feeling?" Miroku asked.

"Better." Sango replied.

"Good…"

"I've actually never seen inside your room before. It's nice." Sango tried to brighten the mood.

"Nicer than the room I had outside of this place." Miroku commented.

"What do you mean?" Sango attempted to sit up but Miroku was on her like a hawk.

"Rest." He said as he grabbed her shoulders and pressed her down. "I'm sure your head hurts."

"Yeah, it does. How did you know-"

"I like it here, though." Miroku interrupted her. He released her shoulders and walked towards the closed door. "Nice people."

"Miroku…" Sango sat up and leaned her back against the wall with much effort. "Come, sit." She patted the bed.

"You sure you can trust me?" He asked.

Sango rolled her eyes, "Get your butt over here."

Miroku carefully climbed next to Sango on the bed. He turned to her with a curious expression.

"Miroku, I am your doctor."

Miroku frowned and turned his head away from her.

"You know you can tell me anything."

"Sango, you have to see it from the patients point of view."

"I don't understand…" Sango tried to look at Miroku's face but he turned his head away.

"Most of the patients came from bad families or lived in a bad neighborhood before they came here. Most want to stay. They don't want to get better. They like it here. Some are actually faking sick." Miroku looked up and stared at the wall opposite the bed.

"What about you? There's not much about your home in the report." Sango continued to stare at him. "What was your home like?"

"What home?" Miroku asked darkly. He leapt off the bed and fumbled with the shower curtain. "Don't you remember when you found me?"

"You were trying to suck a business man into your 'wind tunnel'." Sango nearly giggled.

"Yeah." Miroku laughed slightly. "And you thought it was the most hilarious thing you ever saw. You were rolling on the ground laughing, if I recall correctly." Miroku turned and looked at Sango.

"I sure was!" Sango laughed. "And you were so dumbfounded that anyone found this funny, you had this look of pure and total shock on your face."

"What can I say?" Miroku asked with a chuckle. "When a pretty girl starts laughing at me I just have to stop and stare." He winked.

Sango laughed a little harder. "You were so fussy when the men tried to get you to take off your robes and wear the hospital uniform. I remember you throwing a piece of shrine paper at the man and taping it to his forehead."

"He wasn't a demon so it didn't work." Miroku defended himself.

"I also remember how you asked Kikyo to bear your child as soon as we walked in."

"Memories, memories." Miroku walked towards Sango and the bed.

"I also recall her punching you."

"Yeah…" Miroku rubbed his cheek. "I remember that it hurt."

Sango giggled and leaned forward slightly. "Awe, does baby have a boo-boo?"

Miroku leaned in front of Sango and stared into her eyes. "Do you wanna kiss it and make it better?"

Sango didn't respond, she just continued to stare at Miroku. For some reason she couldn't tare her eyes away from his gaze. Her smiled faded into a more serious expression. Miroku smiled slightly and moved closer to her. His nose was nearly touching hers.

He put his hand on her cheek and Sango nearly melted from the feeling in her stomach. Miroku's smile widened slightly. He asked again. "Do you want to kiss it and make it better?"

Sango closed her eyes. She felt something squeeze her butt. Her eyebrow twitched, "Miroku…"

"Yes…" Miroku said softly.

Sango pulled her hand back and slapped Miroku across the face. He stumbled back a few feet and held his injured cheek.

"Ouch…" He said.

"You ruin everything, Miroku." Sango whispered.

"What?" He asked as he rubbed his face.

"Nothing, nothing."

* * *

Another Chapter completed.

And in record time.

All hail Dr. Pepper and its caffeine, that helped me stay up late and finish this chapter.

Well…

Review?


	15. Kagura the Wind Goddess

Unstable

Kagura the Wind Goddess

The air was cold and stale. Like a piece of bread that had sat out on the counter to long. It ran up her nose and infested her insides. This polluted air. What have these stupid humans done to the once beautiful planet? Why did they have to suck it dry just so they could have what they wanted when they wanted it?

They disgusted her.

Them, with their terrible habits. She watched the street below as a young child pulled on his mother's coat, trying to get her to buy him something sitting in a window. She shook her head and pulled him away from it before continuing down the sidewalk.

An old man and his wife were sitting outside a café nearby, sipping tea. Their strange raspy laughter contaminating the surrounding area. She wanted to jump down and squeeze the last breath of air out of their throat, just to get them to shut up.

And she would have to, if she hadn't heard the crash from below her. A teenage boy, or perhaps older was standing in the street below her with clothes strewn about. A Playstation was cracked just below his feet. He looked up and started to yell.

At first she thought he was yelling at her, then she realized, when a girl poked her head out from a window below her and threw a bundle of games and controllers out the window, that he was yelling at the girl.

"If you love your games so much more than me, here!" She yelled with tears in her eyes as she gathered more things to fling out the window.

"Honey, let's talk this over." The man tried to remain calm, even though it was obvious that he was furious.

"Don't 'honey' me." She appeared in the window once again. "It was you who chose games over me! I hope you have fun buying sex!" She pulled her head inside and slammed the window shut.

The boy sighed and dropped his arms to his side in defeat. He stared at the broken Playstation with distant unseeing eyes. Kagura took this chance to jump off the roof of the building and land beside him unnoticed.

"I suppose you can't undo what has been done." She shrugged as she bent over and retrieved the smashed game console.

"Hey, Miss, what do you think you're doing?" The boy asked with fire in his eyes. Kagura could feel that he was about to take his rage out on her.

"Only giving you friendly advice." She glared at him causing him to close his mouth with a snap. "You should take it as often as you can, you need it."

She dropped the broken object and stepped over some clothes to get closer to the boy. "Is she so special that you would allow her to do this type of thing? How can you stand here and merely smile and ask her to stop? Why aren't you running up the stairs to her apartment to teach her, her place in life? Why do you just stand there like a fool?" Kagura asked.

The boy stared at her a moment as if at a loss for words. Then he smiled and stared up at the window where the girl had been. "You must never have loved. For, if you have, you would understand why I stand here, 'like a fool'." He shook his head and peered at Kagura. "You've never loved, and never will."

The boy, then, bent down and began to gather up his belongings that were scattered across the sidewalk. Kagura huffed and walked away from the boy with mock expression. "Like a fool, indeed."

She came to an ally and ducked inside. She leaned against the wall of the building. Only a few rays of light peered through to her. She stared straight ahead at the other building with a surprised expression.

_'You've never loved, and never will."_

"Nonsense, who needs love?"

* * *

"I do." Inuyasha glared at Kagome from his place by the door of the small room. She was kneeling in front of the old television with her arms resting on her knees. The blanket from the bed was wrapped around her shoulders to cover her slightly reveling nightgown.

"And so do I," Kagome said with a smile as she switched the television off. She pushed on her knees with her hands to help herself up. She turned to Inuyasha and kinked her head to the side. She closed her eyes and smiled even wider, "So let's go find some."

"Where do we start looking, all the stuff around here is crap." Inuyasha removed his blue hospital shirt and held it out to Kagome. His chest was really something to marvel at. It was defined and yet not so much that you would think twice about it. Kagome blushed slightly and realized she was staring at him.

"Oh, um...What's this for?" She asked as she took the shirt from him.

"If we're going out, you can't wear just a blanket." Inuyasha removed the blanket from around her shoulders and tossed it on the mattress. "This will do till we can find some real clothes."

Kagome nodded and slipped into his shirt. It was slightly stiff from wear, and smelt of something that had rolled in a dead animal. It draped loosely over her body and reached to the middle of her upper thighs. "And I hope we get some 'real' clothes soon." She cringed.

"Let's go. I really do need some food." Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder to push her out the door.

"I think there's a hot dog guy who works on the corner of Fifth and Connor." Kagome looked behind her as she spoke, to try and get a glimpse of his eyes.

"Well, let's go check it out. I'm starving." Inuyasha slammed the door behind him.

* * *

"Good Day, Kikyo." Sango said as she emerged from the patient hallway wearing Miroku's monk robes. She quickly scurried by the front desk and tried to enter the hallway where her office was, but Kikyo grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back to the front desk.

"Sango, what in the name of the lord, are you wearing. If I'm not mistaken those are Miroku's." Kikyo looked Sango up and down. The strange purple robes were a little large on Sango but otherwise they fit her perfectly.

"Quiet Kikyo. I got my clothes wet last night and Miroku offered me his. I thought as a doctor it would be wrong of me to decline." Sango straightened the collar and gave a satisfied look at Kikyo.

"But you keep an extra pair of clothes in your office, don't you?" Kikyo asked. "Why would you take, Miroku's?"

Sango's mouth opened slightly as if the words had escaped her. She looked around the room in search of an answer.

"That is between her and I." Miroku appeared behind Kikyo, making both the women jump.

Kikyo gave a cautious look to both Miroku and Sango. "Sango, you know it's against the rules to have patient/doctor relations."

Sango waved her hands, "It's nothing like that, at all."

"That's not the way I see it." Miroku stepped next to Sango and put his arm around her shoulders. "Right, honey?"

Sango blushed and turned her head away from him. She picked up his arm and tossed it off her shoulder.

Kikyo raised an eyebrow. "Well, anyway, you have a message." Kikyo reached over the shelf to her desk and retrieved a small piece of paper. "It's about Kohaku."

Sango snatched it away from Kikyo when the name entered her ears. She stared at the note with wide eyes. She looked up from the note and stared at Miroku for a second. The look in her eyes was pure terror and it burned into his skin embrodering itself in his memory.

Sango stuttered silently before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed into a heap on the tile floor.

"Sango!" Kikyo exclaimed.

Miroku bent down and moved some of Sango's black hair out of her eyes. "She's okay." He said to assure Kikyo. He retrieved the note and was astonished. "Kohaku's been killed?"

* * *

"No!" a young boy with jet-black hair yelled as he stared at the TV monitor in a servailence room. In the monitor a young women had just collapsed and now a man and a women were carrying her off the screen. "Why are you doing this?" he yelled on the brink of tears.

"It is better if she thinks you are dead." A shadowy figure spoke from the corner of the room.

"NO!" the boy closed his eyes and tears began to stream down his cheeks. He touched the screen where the girl had been with his finger. "Sister..."

"Foolish." The shadow spoke. "She is nothing you need to concern yourself about."

The boy turned and faced the shadow, a strange fire burnt in his eyes. "How dare you make Kohaku cry!" A girl's voice escaped his mouth. "You will pay."

"Ha!" The shadow scoffed. A hand reached out and gripped the boy around the neck. The child tried to pry the hand off but his attempts rendered useless. "You are mine to control now. Kohaku."

The child gasped for air and clawed at the hand that was clenched around his neck. The shadow released him roughly, throwing him onto the ground. The child's eyes were watering and he was rubbing his neck in pain.

"Now be a good boy and do as I say."

* * *

She waited for them to round the corner before she stepped in stride several paces behind them. She had changed clothes to blend in better with the crowd. She had torn jeans, a tight pink shirt that was under a very loose small green one. A CD player was strapped to her belt that was not attached to her pants. The headphones lay around her neck blasting loud music into the nearby area. A green fishing hat with hooks poking out of it covered her short hair. She looked like the average rebellious teenage girl.

A boy wearing a school uniform walked up next to her, "I was wondering-"

"No," she said harshly.

"If we could just-" He started again.

"Nuh-uh." She put a finger up to silence him.

"Just give-"

"Goodbye." She said. He stopped walking and watched her walk away.

"She is so hot!" He exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her targets. They were buying hot dogs from a fat man a few yards away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. She covered her bright pink eyes and began to walk up to them.

"Inuyasha! You're suppose to chew then swallow!" Kagome was pounding a choking Inuyasha on the back.

He gulped and let out a gasp of air. "I know, but it was just so good."

She smiled and handed him a bottle of water. He guzzled it down and Kagome nearly laughed when he started to choke on that as well.

"Excuse me?" A teenage girl tapped Kagome on the shoulder. Kagome left Inuyasha to his coughing and turned to the girl. She seemed normal enough, with her green shirt and torn jeans.

"Yes?" Kagome asked.

The girl reached into her pocket and unfolded a sheet of paper. She held it out to Kagome. "Do you know this girl?"

The picture was torn and in black and white. A young girl was holding a mirror and staring blankly at the camera. There was a table in the background. That's when Kagome realized that the picture was not in black and white, but in color. The table was clearly brown, and now that she looked the mirror was a brilliant silver. The girl was solid white. Her pale face...hair...clothes. The mirror was a real mystery. It was facing the camera and yet, nothing reflected in it. It was almost black.

"No..." Kagome answered finally.

The teenager smiled and crumpled the picture in her fist. "I see." She reached into her shirt and pulled out a strange hand fan. She covered her mouth with it. She winked at Kagome before twirling while a gust of wind surrounded her. Kagome covered her face to protect herself from the violent wind. When she looked up, Inuyasha was standing in front of her. And the woman was floating above the ground wearing an old fashioned Kimono.

"Inuyasha!" She called, but of course he did not hear. "I have been sent to take you and kill her!" she pointed to Kagome.

Kagome gasped, "She said she was going to take you and kill me!"

Kagura charged at Kagome with fury in her eyes. Inuyasha jumped up and tackled her to the ground. He jumped off her on impact and landed on his feet nearby.

He growled, "You are not going to take me, and I am not going to allow you to kill Kagome." He narrowed his eyes.

Kagura easily pulled herself off the ground she dusted off her kimono and stared at Inuyasha with a look of rapture. "I'm afraid you have no choice, If I do not succeed, others will come." She turned her head towards Kagome. "Like the girl in the picture."

Kagome's eyes widened. The mirror.

"What?" Inuyasha yelled. "What did she say?"

"Others will come!" Kagome cried. She was frightened. Kagura was in-between Inuyasha and herself.

Kagura seemed to realize this too. She glanced at Inuyasha before charging towards the helpless girl. Kagome turned and ran away from her chaser. Her stepping was clumsy and her borrowed shirt too big to have mobile movement. Kagura grabbed her in an instant and held a small knife to Kagome's neck. She turned towards Inuyasha and held the girl hostage.

"Tell him to come quietly or you die." Kagura put pressure on Kagome's neck but did not draw blood.

Inuyasha was frozen to his spot several yards away. The people who would normally be on the sidewalk were to the side, in fright.

"Inuyasha...go...save yourself. You can't let them catch you." She whispered.

"Bad girl." Kagura said. She pressed the knife against Kagome's neck hard enough to draw a small drop of blood.

Inuyasha growled and narrowed his eyes, "Get your hands off her."

Kagura shook her head, "Come." She said. "You must come with me."

"NO!" Kagome screamed. "You can't go!"

"Come or..." Kagura pressed the strange knife to Kagome's neck once again. Kagome's face contorted in pain as blood ran down her neck and stained her shirt.

Inuyasha stood up straight and slouched his head, "I will go, just leave Kagome be..."

"Good puppy," Kagura threw the girl aside and rushed towards Inuyasha. He didn't move. He allowed her to entrap her in a strange vine, and carry him off on a floating feather.

"Inuyasha no!" Kagome screamed with one hand on her neck. "Jump off now! She can't get to me! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Either he couldn't hear her or he chose not to. Kagome's eyes began to swell with tears, "Inuyasha! Don' leave me!" she fell to her knees and rested one of her hands on the sidewalk. Her hair concealed her face, but drops of tears and blood hit the ground below her. "No..."

Inuyasha had to use all his will not to jump off the feather. He was biting his tongue till he drew blood. He could taste the copper liquid in his mouth, he felt it swirl around, almost laughing at him in his emotional pain.

"Such a good boy now, Inuyasha." Kagura tapped him on the shoulder as she spoke, getting him to look at her. His eyes were layered in pure hatred for her; it made her skin turn icy just looking at it. "I've heard rumors that you can read lips." She said slowly to see if he could. He didn't respond, he just continued to stare at her with malice. She shrugged but continued to speak to him, "I will kill her."

With those four words Inuyasha leapt off the feather, which was high above the clouds already, concealing the ground.

"YOU FOOL!" Kagura yelled as she maneuvered the feather to try and catch him, "You'll die!"

Inuyasha came bounding through the white masses of clouds to see the ground far, far below him. He wasn't worried, the only thing he could think of was saving Kagome. Kagura caught him by the ends of his long silver hair. Inuyasha screamed in pain when he came to a jolting stop.

Kagura was panting with anger. "He only said you had to be alive, he didn't say how close to death you could be." She threw him up with an amazing strength Inuyasha had not known she possessed. He was floating above her for one instant and she pulled out her fan and threw her arm across her body, white streaks of light escaped from her fan and hit Inuyasha, shredding him. The vines fell off him and he fell onto Kagura's feather.

He pulled his head up and lunged at her, using his claws as weapons. With such a small space to battle, the feather was loosing control. It was spiraling downward, as Kagura tried to dodge Inuyasha's attacks, while attacking him. Scratches littered her body, and her outer Kimono was now just tattered rags. Inuyasha's chest was glistening with his sweat and blood. They stopped fighting for a moment both breathing hard and on opposite sides of the feather, which was still spiraling down.

"You must come back." Kagura panted.

"I cannot." Inuyasha spoke for the first time since he was taken. "I cannot."

"Naraku will come for you." She said.

"Then let him come."

"He will never stop."

"Then I will have to stop him."

Kagura smiled with realization, "I see. So your paper work does not lie, you are..." she stopped speaking and stared at him with concentration. The feather stopped moving suddenly, making both of them jolt upward. There were mere meters from the ground. They were over a farm, near the edge of a field of corn.

"It seems we have stopped only a little ways from the bottom of the ground. It also seems I have fainted, ah..." she closed her eyes and fell back onto the feather. "It seems that you can escape from me now."

Inuyasha smirked and jumped off the feather and dashed towards the city. Kagura sat up and watched him run off, "What a foolish thing I have done..."

* * *

Sango woke in her office with both Miroku and Kikyo leaning over her. She sat up suddenly and became dizzy so she returned her head to the pillow. Miroku frowned and placed a cold towel on her forehead.

"His room was burned." Kikyo said. She was standing with her back to Sango now. "Everything was destroyed. We found... we found... nothing left of him."

Sango's eyes were wide in disbelief. "This cannot be." Tears began to gather in her eyes. "This..." She said shakily, "cannot be..." She burst into a horde of tears, throwing herself into Miroku's chest, where she continued to mumble, "This cannot be!"

Miroku comforted her as best he could, while Kikyo left the room in quiet sadness. Once she was gone, Miroku pulled Sango back and looked into her eyes. She was shaking her head and tears were streaming out of her eyes, she was mumbling incoherently something about how Kikyo must be wrong.

"Shush now." Miroku shook her once to get her attention. Sango stared at him with tears still running down her cheeks. "Kohaku is not dead! I will not believe it! I still feel his presence about this place!"

"Miroku, I can't handle your games today!" She sobbed, "I can't take anymore of your nonsense about being a monk!" She pushed him away and leaned her head against the back of the couch. "You are not a monk! You were not a monk and you will never BE a monk! You do not have a black hole in your right hand and you cannot sense people's spirits! Get it through your head, Miroku, everything you say is just an excuse! You're a coward!"

Miroku stood up and stared at her, "I'm the coward?" he said. "I'm not the one in the lake..."

"Shut up! I was ready to accept my death! And then here you come to ruin it!" She screamed at him with tears still running down her face. "You're a disgrace to humanity!"

"If you think that, then perhaps I shouldn't have saved you." He said as he turned and walked out the door. He held the door open with his back to Sango, "You always push people away don't you? Well congratulations, you've succeeded. I'm transferring to another asylum." He slammed the door, causing a picture on the wall beside it to fall and shatter on the ground.

Sango screamed and cried even harder. She shoved her face into her pillow muffling the sound slightly. She took gasps of air with her mouth against the pillow. She pulled her head back, still sobbing wildly, "I'm such an idiot, now I'm really all alone!" she pushed her head into the pillow again, "Kohaku! ...Miroku!"

* * *

Well hehe, end of chapter 15.

Finally...

Hehe...he?

Well Review?


	16. Why the World Is Silent

Unstable

Why the World Is Silent

She staggered through the crowded streets. Her hair was messily covering her face, concealing any emotion she could be showing. People, who walked by her, avoided touching her at all costs. One man had even jumped sideways ramming into a small boy on a skateboard, causing a fight to break out.

She hadn't noticed. Her mind was racing in circles, and the only thing she could think of was him.

"Inuyasha…" She muttered. A raindrop fell on her head, and then another, and another, till it was pouring. People ran for cover but the rain only caused her to stop walking. She raised her head and looked to the sky, blinking to shield her eyes from the heavy rain.

"Stupid girl," a voice came from behind her. "You'll catch your death if you stay out here wearing only a shirt."

Her eye's widened, and she spun around with astonishment. "Inuyasha?!"

"Who else?" he said cockily, smirking smugly.

"I thought…" tears began to drip down her cheeks, joining the rain. He was a complete mess. Dirt and grass was spread through his hair and pants. His chest was covered in scratches, but was glistening in the cold rain.

His eyes softened and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Shut up." He said simply. "Did you think I would just leave you?"

She shook her head, and pushed her already tired body forward to collapse into his chest. "I thought you were going to die!"

"Silly," Inuyasha said softly to her. "I can't die that easily." He encircled his arms around her, embracing her.

They stood there, in the rain, holding one another. They were soaking wet, dripping from head to toe, but they made no attempt to hide from the rain. She didn't want to ruin this wonderful moment, and he didn't want to let go.

She began to shiver, and that is when Inuyasha lifted her into his arms. "Enough of this nonsense." His voice returned to its normal cynical tone. "It would be a shame to die from a cold."

As if he had read her mind, Kagome sneezed. "I have been wandering around some."

"Out here? Alone? What if someone tried to kill you? Are you crazy? You stupid girl!"

"Me? Stupid? You're the one who didn't even try to get away from Kagura!"

"Well excuse me for trying to save you!"

"Save me? You nearly got me killed!"

They continued to argue as Inuyasha made his way back to their wonderful five star hotel room.

* * *

If he wanted her to love her, his attitude did not show it. Miroku sat in his room, his back to the door, wearing the hospital attire. He was trying to make her cry. He'd admit it. She had hurt him, and he wanted to hurt her. That may be an awful thing to think, but he wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine.

He had Rin hanging out around the pond, just in case. He didn't want her to die, or be anywhere near. Though she was obviously already depressed, and now Kohaku was gone. He shook his head. He had lost much more and gone through more hardships than she had, why should he care?

Why should he care, was not the question. Why did he care, was. He always cared. He wanted everyone to be happy, and that was just something that wasn't possible.

"Miroku."

It was her. He knew she was standing at the door, waiting for him to reply. He had been ignoring her all day. He hadn't even eaten because she had brought it to him.

"You don't have to speak, just listen." Sango said as she entered his room, making sure to keep his door open. "I will not apologize."

He held in a gasp of anger.

"But, I will not deny I was harsh, but…" She fell to her knees, she covered her eyes and broke into a fit of sobs. He resisted the feeling to comfort her. "Kohaku…"

It gripped at his heart to hear her cry. He clenched his fists and looked to the cold tile floor for comfort. He tried to drown out her sobs. He couldn't move. For if he did, he would only move towards her. He squinted his eyes closed and began to grind his teeth. This was almost more torture for him than it was for her.

"MIROKU!" She cried out. She was directly behind him. She was standing, facing his back, still sobbing noisily. She put her palm in the center of his back and rested her head on his back as well.

Sango held back her tears and sniffled for a moment as she tried to compose herself. "You and Kohaku were the only ones I…" she stopped, unable to reveal her true feelings to him. She fought around in her mind for another way to put the way she felt, with out making it sound the way it really was. "You and Kohaku were the only ones that I would stay alive for."

"That is an awful reason for life." Miroku said. He stepped forward, causing Sango's hand to fall to her side and her head to bob slightly. "What about all the patients that depend on you here?" he turned to face her for the first time.

Her face was red from tears, and her eyes were filled with them. "Please do not be mad at me," Sango pleaded.

"You hurt me, Sango!" Miroku yelled, taking a step towards her. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him. "You ripped my heart out and stomped on it! And you expect me to not be mad?"

Sango's tears streamed with more velocity down her cheeks as Miroku stared deep into her eyes. She had never seen him so angry, it was frightening.

Miroku grabbed her cheeks with his hands, holding her face still. "I could never… be mad at you forever." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Sango's eyes widened in surprise but she did not move. He pulled away, "I only want you to be happy… but I want to be happy too." He wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I want to be with you Sango, can't you see that? I need you!"

Sango said nothing. She only allowed him to embrace her. He was warm. It was strange to her, that someone needed her; that she could hurt someone so much.

"Say something!" Miroku nearly sobbed. He started to pull away.

"No." Sango whispered.

Miroku stopped moving.

"Don't let go. Hold me a little longer."

Miroku smiled and held Sango close to him, comforting both her and himself.

* * *

"Kagura, how could you have let him escape? I give you one simple task…" Naraku paced back and forth in his office. Kagura knelt submissively before him. "No matter, I suppose I will have to send Kanna with you."

"My lord, there was nothing I could do to prevent him from escaping. He took a suicide leap off my feather." Kagura tried to press her nose to the ground, praying he would not harm her.

He scoffed. "Next time go with Kanna."

"And of the girl?" Kagura questioned.

"Ah, yes. Kagome. Perhaps Kanna will be full after filling up on her spiritual energy." Naraku opened his door. "Rise, and tell Kanna of the plan. And please tell Kikyo, I would like a word with her."

Kagura rose and diverted her eyes from his as she scurried out of his office. She quickly made her way to Kikyo, who was busy with some walk-in by the front entrance.

"No, I will not!" A small boy with red hair tried to escape from a strange man's arms. "I will not go back!"

"You need to, you are not well!" the man hurled the boy at Kikyo, who was barely able to stop him from falling to the ground.

"Sir!" Kikyo called as the man turned his back and exited the asylum. "SIR!"

"Leave him," the boy said.

"Shippo," Kikyo addressed him.

"Kikyo, ma'am." Kagura bowed politely before the older woman. "Mr. Naraku wishes for your presence in his office."

"Oh?" Kikyo turned to Kagura. "Now? Well… Kagura could you please take Shippo to the play room, I will be there momentarily."

"Yes." Kagura put her hand out for Shippo to take, he only stared at it.

"Go with her Shippo, I will get Sango to visit you." Kikyo left him and jogged into the doctor's hallway.

"Come now," Kagura grabbed his upper arm forcefully. "I have no time for little boys."

"I am not little!" Shippo yelled. He pulled his arm away from her and ran towards the entrance.

Kagura sighed and pulled out a feather from her shirt and tossed it into the air. It grew in size and encircled around Shippo, wrapping around him like a snake.

"Let me go!" he screamed. The feather contorted and covered his mouth.

"Bad little boy." Kagura said. "Now go to the play room." The feather began to hop towards its determined destination. Shippo's eyes were wide with surprise and fear.

Kagura chuckled.

* * *

"Yes, Naraku," Kikyo stood just outside his open doorway.

"Come in, come in," He gestured for Kikyo to enter. She hesitated a moment before taking several steps inside.

"What is it?"

Naraku walked forward and grabbed Kikyo's chin and pulled her face close to his. "Its name is Inuyasha."

Kikyo glared. "I know no one of that name!"

Naraku shook his head and blinked slowly, "He does not know. He thinks you are dead. You are lucky I let you live, lucky that I created this body for you. Lucky, indeed." Naraku started to lightly trace his nose across Kikyo's cheek. "You are mine, and I need you now."

Kikyo pushed him away and held her hand over her cheek.

"Only you can defeat him. And he is starting to become a threat to me, again. I need him to be taken care of."

Kikyo did not answer. She only turned sharply and walked briskly from his office.

"That's a good girl," Naraku called after her.

* * *

Inuyasha listened to the running water while he pried his wet pants off. He tossed them aside and began to put on the pants the manager had lent him. They had both been drenched and shivering from head to toe when they had entered the hotel. The manager spotted them right away and upon seeing their condition offered his bathroom for them to clean up in. He was really rather nice if he thought you to be a profit to him. He thought Inuyasha just the man to be a bouncer at a new club he was opening up.

He had hoped Kagome could offer her services as well, but Inuyasha would not allow such a thing. The manager said that the only way he would let them sleep in his room is if she offered to do something, anything. So she offered to be a waitress at his new club. Of course the job came with a skimpy outfit but luckily there was no foul play involved.

Inuyasha snatched a short sleeve shirt off the bed and pulled it roughly over his head. He pulled his hair over the top of it. His hair, which should still be wet, was completely dry. That's one of the advantages of having demon blood running through your veins. He began to pull a pair of fresh jeans on as he listened to the sound of the shower.

The water was turned off by a squeaky faucet and a few moments later Kagome emerged wearing only a towel around her dripping wet body. She was drying her hair with another. Inuyasha stared at her, not realizing he was.

"What?" Kagome asked as she threw the hair towel onto the floor. She held the towel around her body just where the towel overlapped.

"Uh…" Was all Inuyasha could manage.

Kagome walked past him, sat on the bed and placed her hands in her lap. She bowed her head slightly and her hair hid her eyes. "Why… do you need me?"

Inuyasha turned to her. "Kagome…"

"Stop! Don't answer that! I don't want to know! The answer will only hurt me even more!" Kagome clenched her chest. She started to cry and tears fell onto her lap, staining her towel. "I can't stand it anymore! I can't! Take me home! I don't want to be with you! I don't! I didn't want to get involved! It was all a lie! And you lied to me too!"

"About what?" Inuyasha was able to interrupt.

"SHUT UP!" Kagome turned and flung her self unto the bed, stuffing her face into the pillow. She sobbed uncontrollably making her shoulders shake.

Suddenly she felt hands grab her shoulders and gently pull her into a sitting position. She was forced to look Inuyasha directly in the eye, where his emotions played to her clearly. Her sobbing stopped but tears remained in her eyes and on her cheeks.

"Stupid." He said softly. She had expected him to yell at her, but perhaps her current condition, and appearance had altered him somehow. "Without you, I cannot fight, I cannot survive," He paused and hardened his expression, "I cannot live."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome responded.

"If you really want to return… I cannot stop you." He started to pull away from her, but she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. From her sudden movement the towel unraveled from around her body and was draped across the bed just behind her. They were both sitting on the bed and Kagome was completely naked. She didn't stop. She only pressed against him harder.

Kagome was blushing violently. She stuffed her head into Inuyasha's neck.

He could feel her warm breath gently flowing across his neck. He pressed her hands to her bare back, it was so warm. He leaned his head into hers.

"I… I'm sorry." Kagome managed. "I didn't mean any of it. I was just so frightened when you were taken I didn't know what to do."

"You don't need to worry." Inuyasha whispered. "I will always protect you."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome reached around her and wrapped the towel around her before he could see anything.

"Yes." He looked down at her.

"How did you lose your hearing?"

He was silent. His expression was serious. He closed his eyes and looked up, only to open them again.

Kagome blinked but said nothing.

"I have not been honest." He said finally. "I saw her again."

"The priestess who you were caught with?" Kagome asked.

"Yes." Inuyasha turned away from Kagome and stared at the wall opposite. "I saw her many times. She always looked worn out and exasperated. Except once, and that should have given it away to me right away that something was up. But I cared to much for her that I was blinded."

'She was really lovely that day. They had cut her hair to be short, just above her shoulders, but it was still adorable. They had her wearing a festival Kimono and sitting on a stone bench in a beautiful garden. They took me to her.'

"Inuyasha!" She jumped up and threw her arms around him. He embraced her back. This was the only release he had ever received from his punishments.

"Kikyo…" he whispered her name.

"I'm so happy… I get to see you." She said before pulling away.

"Kikyo… what have they done… to you?" Inuyasha touched the tips of her short hair.

"Oh," She shook her head, "They… just thought I'd look better…"

"That's not true Kikyo, tell me what they've been trying to accomplish!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Inuyasha you're hurting me!"

"KIKYO!" He pulled her into a hug and gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this…"

"No… it is not your fault." Kikyo spoke with almost no emotion. "They have been forcing me to use the energy stolen from half demons to compile into a super demon. They chose Half demon's for their weakness…"

"You can't…"

"I had to, or they would kill you!" She cried into his chest.

"Idiot!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha! I truly love you! I do! The last person I wanted to hurt was you!" She pushed away from him and grabbed his arm, sending a shock of pain through it. "This is the only way to free you! To free me!"

She grabbed both his arms and continued to shock him until he fell to the ground. She leaned over him, as he stared at her with unbelieving eyes.

She was crying silently. Her tears dripped down and fell onto his cheeks. "No one…" She whispered to him. "Will ever be able to hurt you again." She lifted his head and covered his ears with her hands.

"Kikyo…"

"I love you…" she muttered before sending a strong inhuman power through him. He grabbed her arms, but the touch burned his hands. He screamed in pain… and in anguish.

He loved her.

"INUYASHA!" She yelled as the world around him turned black. But he didn't hear her; the only thing he could hear was a loud ringing left by her unbelievable Priestess power.

'I learned later that she had not just been shocking me, but herself as well. She was planning on killing us both… Unfortunately I survived… and she didn't. It took me years to learn that, long before I was ever brought to that Asylum. She had stolen my ears… and I had taken her life… I couldn't protect her from the one person that could hurt her the most… herself.'

* * *

SORRY!

But it's finally done. Wish it could be longer… but… sorry!!


	17. The Kiss of the Damned

Unstable

The Kiss of the Damned

"I've finally found her!" Mr. Higurashi exclaimed as he shoved himself into Shesshomaru's office. The door slammed loudly against the wall and bounced back causing him to catch it before it whacked him in the face.

"Her?" Shesshomaru asked. He sat, carelessly in his leather chair. "Kagome?"

"Pfft." Mr. Higurashi made a- of course not that- sound and pounded a rather large file down onto Shesshomaru's desk.

"Midoriko."

"The Priestess of Time?" Shesshomaru snatched the file and filtered through it.

"Well I didn't find her so much as… research her."

"What made you do a thing like that?" Shesshomaru said with his nose in the file.

"Number Five." Higurashi stated. "His past files, the oldest of the oldest, the ones that were dated as far back as one hundred years speak of her. The Goddess of Light, they call her."

"She is a mystery to even the oldest Scholars." Shesshomaru glanced at Higurashi, "How did you come by all of this."

"And sometimes," Higurashi continued to speak, ignoring Shesshomaru, "They Call her the Lady of Our Way."

* * *

He walked into the hotel with his head held high. Two men flanked his sides, both regarding him with much respect. They were on a mission, and they were about to complete it.

"Have you seen this man?" He showed a picture to a hardly dressed young lady who was seated in the front lobby. She shook her head.

"I have…" A monotone child like girl's voice spoke. She was seated on a bench near the front desk. She was dressed in all white and held a strange reflectionless mirror.

"Where?" he jumped on her.

"Why not turn around and discover for yourself?"

He did without hesitation and his eyes widened, standing nearly directly behind him, talking to her… was Number Five.

"NUMBER FIVE!"

She looked up, startled that someone had called the man she was talking to… "KOGA!" she yelled.

"Kagome!" Koga darted forward and grabbed Kagome's arm. She was wearing a long yellow sundress that tied around her waist. He pulled her close to him and away from that beast. "What are you doing near him!"

"Let go of me Koga!" She struggled to pry away but he only held her tighter.

"Let her go…" Inuyasha grinded his teeth.

"Oh so it can talk." Koga waved his hand, instructing his two men to subdue Inuyasha.

Inuyasha darted out of the way and out the Hotel door.

"After him, you fools!" Koga yelled as he released Kagome to chase Inuyasha out the door. His two feeble minded followers trailed after.

Kagome stood there a moment, staring at the door, debating on whether or not she should follow.

"Ma'am," the small child in all white approached her. As soon as Kagome saw her, her eyes widened.

It was girl in the photograph Kagura had showed her.

"I was wondering," the girl asked with no feeling, "If you could look into my mirror." She held it up and Kagome saw her own reflection staring back at her.

Almost immediately she felt as though hands had reached out from the mirror and were trying to pull her inside. She screamed, but no one around seemed to notice. She fought against the violent wave of arms desperately to bring her into their hell. No one would help her, no one even noticed!

"Do not resist, for I am Kanna, the Soul Stealer." She said as Kagome felt herself be forced inside the mirror.

A bright light flashed in the area to reveal Kagome's body standing up right and unmoved, in the same position she had been before Kanna had approached her. Only Kagome's soul had been stolen, not her body. And it had all been invisible to the human eye.

Kagura emerged from a dark corner and trailed a finger across the body's cheek. "Perhaps now Kikyo will have a real body…"

* * *

"I don't want to talk to anyone anymore!" Shippo threw an apple at Sango who dodged behind the couch in the playroom.

"Shippo!"

"No one wants me! Not my stepfather! And my mother…" He burst into tears and curled up into a little ball on the floor. "I should just die!"

"OH SHUT UP!" Sango yelled. Shippo looked up with surprise. "You want to know sadness? Look around you! What about her?" Sango pointed to Rin, who was seated calmly on the far end of the couch.

Shippo blinked.

"Her parents beat her when she was younger and her father and brother raped her till she went to school one day bloody from so much abuse!" Sango walked forward and knelt down in front of Shippo.

"I… I…." Shippo stuttered.

"What about me?" Sango asked softly. "My father is dead… I never knew my mother, and my brother slowly lost his memory, and then he died too! He died a slow agonizing death! Can you imagine forgetting everyone you love in life, and then waking up one day to discover the person you thought you knew… you didn't? What do you think it would be like to see past pictures of you with someone you can't remember meeting?"

Miroku appeared behind Sango, and he stared forcefully at Shippo, "What if your parents were the ones who killed your grandparents, your aunts, your uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters, and then themselves, but left you alive

"Miroku… you never said…" Sango looked up at him.

"I didn't want you to know, I didn't want anyone to know." He put a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder. "But now there is no one in the world who I thought should know it more than you, Sango."

Sango smiled lovingly at him before returning a stern gaze onto Shippo. "Your step-father may be an awful man, and you may hate him… but there are still people in the world that love you. Look at Rin, she has shown you nothing but warmth. There is no reason anyone should ever want to kill themselves."

Sango stopped. She stared over Shippo's head as she realized what she had just said. It dawned on her. There was no reason for her to end her life. Where would that leave the people who loved her? That would make their lives even tougher. And the last thing she wanted was to make someone sad.

She smiled at Shippo and held out her arms. "Let me tell you a story about a girl… and her brother."

* * *

Inuyasha knelt in the dark ally for hours after he could no longer smell Koga's scent. He wanted to be sure he would never go back.

The entire time he thought of Kagome. He wondered if she was worried. He thought she was probably mad at him and would yell at him when he finally returned for her.

It was then that he realized how much he was missing her. It surprised him that someone besides the one he used to love could fill every corner of his mind. Then that got him thinking…

"Kikyo…" he spoke without realizing.

Suddenly thousands of bright lights erupted into his hiding spot. He was exposed. They must have known… and were only waiting for a single sign of his presence.

Koga appeared in the clearing and Inuyasha stood up with full intention of running. Koga held up a gun and Inuyasha bolted to his right.

He felt a sharp pain smash into his neck. He fell to the ground before he realized he had even fallen. He reached up and touched the feathers of the end of a tranquilizer dart.

Koga stepped over him. Inuyasha's world began to swirl around like it was being flushed down the toilet.

And then, his world went black.

* * *

"It was a good idea to use the strongest tranquilizer we had." Koga said to Naraku as they sat in the observation room.

"Yes…" Naraku said. "I am very happy that we have finally obtained Number Five." He walked to the clear window and looked into the large room on the other side that had Inuyasha strapped down to a metal table.

"Oh look," Koga joined him. "He's waking up."

"Let's confuse him a bit." Naraku sneered.

* * *

"Inuyasha…" he heard an angel call his name. He opened his eyes to only find the tiles of the ceiling above him. His head was pounding as though someone had taken a hammer to it and there was a copper taste in his mouth.

He attempted to reach up and rub his head but found his arms only jolted back down. He tried to sit up but instead banged his head against cold metal. He violently attempted at breaking the binds that held him down, but only succeeded in wasting his breath.

"You can't get out." He heard the voice again.

"Kagome?" He questioned.

"Think again."

She leaned over him and his eyes widened in shock as the long silky black hair brushed his face.

"Kikyo…"

She didn't smile. Her face was not the same. Sure it looked exactly the way it had more than 50 years ago but she was not the same girl he had loved.

"You must cooperate." She said with a frown. "They must have your power." She placed a warm hand on his cheek and climbed onto the table next to him.

Just the touch of her hand made him melt. He had wanted her for so long. He had dreamt of the day that he would finally be able to meet her again.

"Inuyasha…" she knelt forward. He could feel her breath on his face. "We can finally be together if you just give them your power."

"I can't…" he whispered. He could feel himself slipping. Everything started to slowly combine and he was having trouble sensing anything but her.

But he could sense her. He felt her leg where it slightly touched his own. He could feel the light pressure of her hand on the top of his chest. And her lips… they were so close. If only he could pull forward and maybe taste…

"Inuyasha…" Her voice brought his attention back. "If only you did. We could be together… we could… love each other."

She turned her head and signaled to the two-way mirror.

"Just let me…" She put both her hands on his face. "Just let me love you." She kissed him. She kissed him with all the passion her weak body could muster.

* * *

NOOOOO! No! She can't! She can't! She can't, she can't, and she can't! Why would she! Inuyasha is not hers! Doesn't she love him! Why can't she understand! Why is she doing this! How! This isn't fair! Let me out! LET ME OUT!

The words rang in Kanna's head. The stupid girl's soul was seeping out and communicating with anything it could. Even Kagura could hear it now.

"SHUT UP!" Kagura yelled at the mirror that Kanna held in her lap.

INUYASHA!

"Would you just shut the fuck up!" Kagura leapt up from the couch in Naraku's office and snatched the mirror from Kanna.

"No you can't!" Kanna objected. "She will control your emotions!"

As soon as Kagura wrapped her hands around the edges of the mirror her eyes glazed over.

"Inuyasha…" The words escaped her mouth.

"Kagura… when she controls your emotions… she posses you…" Kanna finished.

"Tell me," Kagura spoke. "Where is Inuyasha."

"I don't know."

"YES YOU DO!" Kagura yelled. Objects on the shelves took a hold of themselves to plummet to the ground.

"He's in exam room three."

"Thank you."

Kagura ran from the room. Kagome's soul was determined to save Inuyasha from the fate of whatever Kikyo was going to put him through. She knew whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

She burst into the hallway with a bright pink glow floating around her.

GET OUT!

It was Kagura. She had awoken and wanted Kagome's soul out of her body. Kagura's body fell to the ground with the limpness of a rag doll. Luckily the mirror was grasped tightly to her chest and was unharmed.

"I must save Inuyasha!" Kagura spoke.

Well good for you. But get out of my BODY!

"As soon as I get mine back!"

NO!

"Yes!"

I will not let some girl take me over!

"AHHH!" Kagome screamed… She felt her soul being forced out by Kagura's. "No! I will not let Inuyasha die!"

Kagura's eyes opened and they glowed a menacing dark pink. The body slowly rose with a rigid manner.

"I have to save the man I love!"

* * *

He felt all his life draining from him. He realized the straps around his entire body must be connected to some type of power drain machine. But none of this mattered to him. He was finally with the women…

"INUYASHA!" The door burst open and Kagura with Kagome's voice stood in the doorway.

Kagome? Inuyasha thought. He opened his eyes and Kikyo pulled away. She stared with disbelief at the glowing Kagura.

"Her soul was so determined to save Inuyasha that she escaped the mirror and took a hold of Kagura!" Kikyo pushed away from the table and pinned herself to the mirror.

"Kikyo! Give me back my body!" Kagura's body jolted upward and the light surrounding it collected and flew towards Kikyo.

"NARAKU!" Kikyo yelled just as Kagome's soul forced Kikyo's to contort into the air, and zoom away.

Kagura's body had fallen helplessly to the ground and it lay motionless.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. She fell on top of him on the table. She was too tired to do much else.

"Kagome." He could see her face lying on top of his. Her tears rained onto his face and ran down onto the table.

"How lovely." Naraku said from behind Kagura. "But we're still draining his power. And soon he will be dead."

"No!" Kagome sobbed. She shook Inuyasha's head. "Inuyasha, don't give up! Fight it! Please!" She sobbed.

"The straps…" he whimpered.

Kagome leapt up with newfound strength. No matter how tired she was, she could not let him die. She touched a strap and an electric pulse appeared. At first she thought it was the strap, but when she touched it again she realized it was her. She grabbed the strap and pulled with all her might.

It easily snapped. She reached over Inuyasha and tore all the straps off of him and pulled him onto the floor. She knelt beside him and tapped his cheek.

Naraku only stared from the doorway. 'Damn girl,' he thought. 'She seems to have put a barrier around this room!'

"Inuyasha!" She started to cry again. Her tears swept across his solemn face. "Wake up!" She touched her forehead to his. "Please! I love you…"

She gently touched her lips to his. They were warm, and soft. A sensation so wonderful engulfed her. She pulled away and saw his eyes were open. She stared at him a moment.

Then he reached up and wrapped his arm around her and kissed her again. It was a simple kiss. But it spoke all the words he could never say.

They pulled away and she smiled. He sat up with her in his lap and held her.

"I'm so glad, your okay." She muttered before collapsing from complete exhaustion.

Inuyasha gently put her head on the ground and turned his attention to Naraku who was still in the doorway. "How dare you, you bastard." Inuyasha said, and Naraku bolted away.

Inuyasha had a strength that he had never felt before. He leapt over Kagura and out the door. He followed Naraku's scent.

He would not get away with what he did.

* * *

YAY! Finally.

I love you!

Review?


	18. Unexpected Turn of Events

Unstable: Final Chapter

Inuyasha flew down the hallway. Naraku was no where to be seen, but Inuyasha could smell him. He had the stench of pure evil. It felt like a thick cloud surrounding everything. It made the air thicker and it was almost hard to move through. But the determination for revenge in Inuyasha's heart made his legs move faster than ever before.

He followed the smell out a window and onto an escape ladder on the side of the building. Just as he exited he saw black hair wisp over the top of the building and onto the roof from the rickety ladder. Inuyasha growled and hurled himself up with great force.

He landed softly on the roof of the asylum, staring face to face with that evil being.

"Naraku," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth. His eyes started to glow and a powerful aura slowly started to build around him.

"Now that I've got you away from that girl," Naraku said with a smirk. "There is no one to protect you." He lifted his arm and it formed into a long wooden spike. He raised it in the air and quickly swung it at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he was barely able to dodge to the left. He rolled on the ground and hopped up to a crouched position.

"After I kill you I will absorb your half-demon power and claim this world as my own!" He laughed maniacally and slashed his whip-like arm at Inuyasha again.

Inuyasha jumped into the air and caught it just below the tip with both his hands. He then used gravity and his own claws to rip through it as he fell to the ground. He could feel the flesh sever and the bone break, a sickening thing to feel, let alone see.

Blood splattered his face and arms, it was hot and stung like daggers. He collapsed when he hit the ground and lay on his back staring up at Naraku's pained expression.

"You will pay for that." Naraku said. But Inuyasha continued to look at him as if he had said nothing. Naraku's arm returned to normal and he held it to his chest. Blood was pouring out of his wrist where his hand used to be, it trickled down his arm and onto the floor where it sizzled like acid.

Inuyasha stood slowly and hid his expression from Naraku. "You took everything from me," he whispered. "And even now, I will not be able to hear the screams you make as I slice off every limb you have."

He leapt forward and bared his claws. Naraku mearly stood there with a placid expression on his face. Inuyasha slashed down, cutting Naraku's face, neck, chest and nearly removing his hurt arm at the elbow.

As soon as Naraku had felt the pain he knew that Inuyasha was no normal half demon. Why was his poison blood not affecting him? How come his weak slash had been able to injure him so severly? Naraku stumbled back and glared at the man standing before him.

Blood was everywhere, if it was Inuyasha's or Naraku's, no one could be sure. The poison blood did have an affect on Inuyasha, but it was merely burning his skin and creating large open gashes across his body.

Inuyasha looked up at Naraku with a gaze that spoke all the words he wished he could hear. Naraku's eyes widened in fear, and Inuyasha smiled. He lunged forward again this time using both his clawed hands to slash down over Naraku's injured body.

But Naraku was ready this time he side-stepped to the right and transformed his remaining arm into the spiked whip. In a split second he punched it through Inuyasha's stomach and out the other side.

Blood squirted from Inuyasha's mouth as he gasped in surprise. He gripped the spike in front of him and grimaced in pain.

Naraku laughed, "Thought you could defeat me you weakling? You are only a pawn!" Naraku raised Inuyasha into the air by his whip-like arm and with amazing speed slammed him into the concrete roof. Dust and shards of rock erupted from the heavy impact of the slam. Inuyasha groaned in pain, still clasping the spike through his body. He lay on his side, in the crater that the impact had formed. He slowly sat up and glared at Naraku.

"I will not be so easily killed." He whispered. He gripped the spike tighter and grinded his claws into it. Naraku's face contorted. Inuyasha gritted his teeth and pulled the spike from his body, whilst severing it from Naraku's arm.

A massive waterfall of blood erupted onto Inuyasha, causing him to scream out in pain as it seared his flesh. Naraku had retracted his arm and was pressing it close to his chest, panting heavily.

"If only I still had the power to regenerate." He said out loud, to himself. "I should retreat." He began to walk backwards away from the injured Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sensed his movement and pushed aside his pain. He flung himself, quickly and accuratly at Naraku's retreating form. He sunk his claws into his neck and pulled his own face directly in front of Naraku's.

The expression Naraku had was one of complete and total shock. Inuyasha had a gaping hole through his stomach, burns and large open wounds on his skin, and yet he was still able to walk? And run?

He stared into the half demon's face and saw nothing but revenge and anger play across it.

"You stole my life." He whispered before mercilessly slashing into the side of Naraku's neck. Inuyasha jumped back before the acid blood could harm him further.

Naraku screamed in pain and held his bloody stump up to his bleeding neck, forgetting he no longer had any hands. He fell to his knees and stared at Inuyasha.

"To think," he whispered, "I was defeated by a half demon." He muttered the last few words as he fell forward onto his face. He took a large gasp of air before his eyes glazed over and the breath was stolen from his body.

Inuyasha's breath was strained as he fell onto one knee and held both hands to his injured stomach. He shut his eyes tightly and willed the pain to leave him. Blood dripped from gashes on his face, arms and legs. A rather large wound on his right arm was so deep that bone was sticking out.

Naraku may be dead, but Inuyasha was not far behind.

Kagome woke to find herself in a hospital room with an oxygen tank strapped to her nose and mouth. She sat up slowly and removed it with caution. The room was empty except for a few flowers and get well cards. There wasn't even a T.V. She sighed and tried to reach into her brain for an answer to, 'why am I in a hospital?'

She stared at the door leading to the hallway and decided the best course of action would be to figure out what laid beyond it. She slid sideways and stepped out of the bed, touching her toes to the floor. As soon as she put all her weight into her legs they buckled under the pressure and she went crashing on the ground. She caught herself with her hands and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

She poked her legs. Not paralyzed, she can still feel them.

The door creaked open and Kagome looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway. Her hair was a mess and dark bags of sleeplessness were beneath her glimmering brown eyes.

"Mom?" Kagome said with a squeak. "Why are you back so soon?"

Ms. Higurashi burst into tears and threw herself at her daughter. She wrapped her arms around Kagome's waist and lifted her up into her lap. "Oh thank goodness you're okay!" she sobbed. Kagome returned the hug with a baffled expression.

Kagome saw another figure enter the room and looked up to see Sango and Miroku enter with shocked expressions slammed onto their faces.

Sango ran forward and knelt beside the two. "You're awake!" She clasped her hands together and tears started to stream down her cheeks. "We were all so worried."

"Why? I only fainted. And mom why are back so soon? Why do you look like you haven't slept in weeks? What is going on here?" Kagome gently pushed her mom away from her and stared into her eyes, "And why won't my legs hold me up?"

The two women shared a glance with one another before Sango stood up and returned next to Miroku in the doorway. Ms. Higurashi smiled lovingly at her daughter.

"I'm glad you are doing well Lady Kagome." Miroku said tipping his head and leaving. Sango smiled and nodded before following behind Miroku, leaving Kagome alone with her mother.

"My dear, Kagome." She said. "You have been in a coma." She slowly stood up and helped her daughter to her feet, and held her up for a moment. Kagome found it took all she had to stand. "You have been asleep for nearly 6 months now."

Kagome's heart sank. She felt like a heavy weight had just been dropped on her. "What?!"

"Please dear," Ms. Higurashi gently helped her daughter into the bed. They both sat on it sideways. She took Kagome's hand in her own and held it tightly. "You're father found you passed out in one of his exam rooms, along with one of his patients. She woke up soon after but no one was able to rouse you. They did tests and found that you're immune system was low along with many other complications."

Kagome stared at her feet trying desperately to take in everything her mother was saying.

"For weeks they tried to cure you, but nothing worked, you only got worse and worse. Until one day a strange boy visited you." Her mother looked up and gently grabbed Kagome's chin to turn her head and look into her eyes. "He whispered something to you, he almost seemed angry at you. I tried to talk to him, but he only looked at me and said slowly, 'There is only one woman I can hear,' I was so surprised that I could only watch him leave without saying another word."

Her mother released Kagome's chin and looked at the door. "Soon after that your condition improved dramatically. The doctor's couldn't believe it, they said it was some kind of medical miracle. I was only happy that my oldest child wouldn't depart before me. It is a parent's worse fear to watch their baby die."

Kagome looked up and studied the ceiling tiles. "Inuyasha." She whispered.

"I'm sorry, dear, what did you say?" Her mother turned and looked at Kagome's profile.

"His name is Inuyasha, and… I love him." Kagome said with a smile. "He was mad at me." She turned and smiled happily at her mother. "I would like to see him again!"

Her mother blinked and then nodded. "I will go and see if Dr. Sango knows anything." She stood up and waved gently to Kagome before departing out the door.

Kagome pulled her legs into the bed and covered herself with the blanket.

She gently laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. She was just about to fall asleep when her door burst open and her father along with two nurses she had never seen before stood in the door way.

"SHE'S AWAKE!!" He screamed and pointed at her. The two nurses ran forward and starting taking her blood pressure, checking her eyes and several other tests. Kagome only wished she could just rest!

--

The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months and soon it had been an entire year since Kagome had woken up from her coma. She had taken home school to catch up with her classmates and was scheduled to graduate with them in the spring.

Sango had told Kagome about the scene on the roof of the asylum, she felt it was only right that she know. But Kagome knew Inuyasha was alive, he had come to see her… But her heart still sank as every day rolled by and swallowed up more time from her.

She was now on her way to lunch with her mother at some fancy restaurant downtown to celebrate Kagome being awake for one year. It was something that Kagome didn't really wish to celebrate, but her mother insisted and Kagome could not deny her the pleasure. Kagome was sitting in the back seat with her brother Sota on her right. She rested her arm on the door and stared sadly out the window. The sun was tickling the tips of the clouds, glowing an amazing gold color. She couldn't help but think of…

"Kagome, are you listening to me?" Her mother spoke with a concerned expression on her face. She was twisted around in the passenger seat staring at Kagome.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm just thinking." Kagome said with a sad sigh.

Her mother frowned and turned back around. Would her daughter ever smile like she use to again? Would the joy that use to dance upon her face before her accident ever return? Those are just some of the questions that Ms. Higurashi asked herself everyday. And that was what today was about.

Kagome sighed again and this time Sota turned to her with a sympathetic expression. "Don't worry Kags," he said sweetly.

Kagome turned to him and smiled as best she could, but he could tell it was stressed and fake. Ever since she had woken up she seemed to always be off in another place. She almost acted like something was missing from her life. He often caught her sitting on the roof of their tiny house. The first time he had seen her there he took the ladder down she had used to climb up there with. Kagome had merely smiled sadly at him and looked back up at the moon-less sky.

"I'm fine Sota." Kagome said, knocking Sota out of his trance. "I'm just…" heartbroken, that was what she wanted to say. But she just stopped mid-sentence and sighed again.

The car stopped and Mr. Higurashi put it into park and rested his hands on the steering wheel. Kagome saw tons of people surrounding the restaurant and big, tall guards wearing all black kept them all in line.

"Okay, now, Kagome," Mr. Higurashi spoke to her sternly. "You go in and get our reservation, okay?" He smiled at her, but his eyes spoke he was worried about his little girl.

"Yes, dear," Kagome's mother spoke in agreement. "We have to drop Sota off at his karate class nearby, but hopefully he'll be done in time to join us for dessert."

Sota smile and punched an imaginary object floating in the air in front of him, "Hi-yah!"

Kagome smirked slightly and nodded before opening the door. Her mother waved and mumbled something about a new start, just wait and see.

Kagome's heals clicked as they touched the cement. She shut the car door a little harder than she should have, but her father drove off without a second thought. She jogged lightly across the street and pushed between the hundreds of people gathered around the outside of the fancy restaurant.

She was wearing a light black dress that was shinny and hugged her curves tenderly. The straps were strings that interconnected in the back in the shape of an X. It was warm out so there was no need for a jacket or shawl.

"Excuse me!" She yelled as a tall man pushed her away from the entrance. She huffed in anger and frustration. She cracked her knuckles and barreled through the crowd, flying into the restaurant.

She stood up and dusted off her dress, in a very lady-like matter and smiled as sweetly as she could manage at the hostess.

There were still people everywhere, mostly young girls and old ladies standing on their tip-toes trying to peak over the stone barrier blocking the dining hall from the front entrance.

"Did you see him?" A teenage girl squeeled to her friends.

"Oh no! Did you?" Another girl popped up from the crowed and exclaimed.

"I see him!" A girl yelled who was hanging off the brick wall. She pointed into the dining hall. "There he is, there he is, there he is!" She repeated annoyingly.

Kagome was getting very frustrated, because even the hostess was getting sidetracked and sneaking glances into the hall behind her. Kagome grabbed the first girl's shoulder spun her around and glared, "What is going on?"

The girl's eye's lit up at the chance for gossip. "Only the most handsome man on the face of the planet! He's a new up and coming star!" She grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her towards the wall. "Kyra, here, help her up and let her see!" the girl said while raising Kagome's hand to the girl hanging off the wall.

"No, Naomi, it's my turn next!" A girl to the left of Kagome whined.

"You'll get your turn, just wait, he's just sitting there, as if he's waiting for someone." Kyra, the girl on the wall said.

"Here then," Naomi said pulling Kagome's arm up slightly for Kyra to grab.

"Wouldn't it be great if he were waiting for me!" The little whiny girl imagined.

"Keep dreaming Kristin," Naomi groaned.

"Wait," Kagome finally spoke up. "Who is he? I haven't heard of any stars!" Kagome yanked her hand away, immediately her balance was off and she fell on the ground, yelping as her butt landed on the hard marble floor.

"He just stood up!" Kyra yelled nearly falling off the wall from joy. "I think he heard you yell!"

"That isn't possible Kyra," Naomi scoffed, "He's deaf, he didn't hear her at all."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "Deaf?" she questioned, still sitting on the floor.

"Yeah," Kristin swooned. "That's what makes him so mysterious."

"But I heard he knows sign language and can read lips really well, that's why he's so good at acting." Naomi pointed out with a slight nod of her head. She reached down and grabbed Kagome's arm, helping her off the ground. Kagome dusted off her butt and winced a little bit, there would be a bruise there tomorrow.

"Oh he's sitting back down, how boring." Kyra said.

"Let me see, now!" Kristin begged.

Naomi released Kagome and pushed Kristin back, away from the wall. "No Kristin, don't be selfish! It is my turn!"

Kagome backed away, deciding to leave the girls to their bickering. She turned around and faced the hostess who was helping an elderly couple leave the restaurant. She smiled at Kagome and nodded for her to wait.

The hostess wished the couple a good night and approached Kagome with a slight bounce in her step. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes," Kagome muttered as a man and his wife barged past her to where the three girls were peering over the wall. "It's kinda crowded here, don't you think?"

"Oh yes, well that is what happens when celebrities decide to dine here." She returned behind her podium and opened her little black book. "Name?" she questioned.

"Higurashi." Kagome said as another person bumped into her.

The hostess looked up suddenly, almost as if she were startled. "What was that?"

"Higurashi," Kagome repeated sternly. "Is there not a reservation?" Kagome's temper was starting to rise, but that was about as far as it would go, ever since…then… she's never really been able to yell.

"On no!" The hostess shook her head. "There is a reservation. Just follow me this way, please, Ms. Higurashi." She smiled brightly and turned away from Kagome and whispered something into the headset.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, but followed behind the girl. They walked through the restaurant, past people enjoying their dinner, past couples sharing an intimate dinner, and past families celebrating birthdays. The dining hall was magnificent, it was decorated with red and gold curtains and table cloths. Kagome looked up and noticed the high ceiling was decorated with large sculptures and paintings that were hanging down dangerously.

"Ma'am?" The hostess addressed Kagome. Kagome blinked her eyes and stared into the bright blue eyes of the young girl. "My manager would like to speak with you before you are seated, will that be alright?"

Kagome was confused. "Okay…" she muttered and realized she was standing near the kitchen doors in the large restaurant. The brick wall was completely on the other side, the large dining hall stretched between. And then she saw it, a man, or a woman, sitting in the exact center of the restaurant. Their back was to her, but the long silver hair was something that no one could miss. Something clicked in her mind and she reached forward absent-mindedly.

It can't be him, can it? In a restaurant, surrounded by so many people, wouldn't they scream and run off?

Kagome's eyes started to tear up. "Inu…" she started to whisper.

"Ma'am!" The hostess had returned before Kagome had even realized she had left. Kagome spun around and quickly whipped away the tears welling up in her eyes with the back of her hand.

"OH MY GOD!" a girl screamed, and Kagome could only imagine it must have been one of the three from earlier. "HE'S STANDING UP!"

The only thing that went through Kagome's mind as she turned around to see who was standing was, 'How stupid to swoon over someone because they simply stood up.'

But, as soon as her eyes laid sight on the 'person standing up' she knew why. His eyes were like the sunset after a cloudy day, his hair, like the finest strands of silk woven in some far off land. And then, there were the two triangular ears sitting atop his silver mane. It was…

"Sir, I am sorry for the disturbance." The manger rushed past Kagome and ran up to the man bowing repeatedly. "We will have those girls taken care of right away."

Kagome couldn't take her eyes of him. Was it an illusion? Some look-a-like who became famous for looking so different? He couldn't really be here…

She noticed that he was looking directly at her, not even noticing the groveling manger before him. He pushed the man aside and in less than half a second he was before her. His eyes showed so much emotion, Kagome couldn't help but start to cry. Was this real? No, she must be dreaming…

"I heard you…" The man muttered. "I heard you crying."

"This can't be real." Kagome sobbed. "You can't be real!" she yelled for the first time in a very long time.

"Kagome," He grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. He looked sad, and yet happy all at once.

Unknown to the two, the entire restaurant was quite, all eyes were focused on them, even the three girls were hushed in stunned awe. Even the paparazzi were too stunned to take any pictures.

"I told you I'd come back, don't you remember?" He squeezed her shoulders and her eyes widened slightly as she remembered what he had whispered to her that day so long ago…

_Kagome felt a slight whisp of air graze her ear. Her head was killing her, her legs and arms felt heavy and it was getting harder and harder to breath. The end was near. _

_"What do you think you're doing, wench?" Inuyasha whispered in her ear with a growl. Kagome nearly gasped at hearing his sweet voice, even though his words were harsh. "You can't die after all I've done for you. Naraku is dead." He sighed and rested his hand on hers. "You can make it through this, you are strong!" _

_Kagome's eyes scrunched tighter and her mouth attempted to move, as if protesting to his statement. _

_"You are strong!" he whispered sternly in her ear. "You are strong because…" the pause seemed to stretch across time and Kagome could feel her life slipping slowly away from her. _

_"I love you."_

_He squeezed her hand again after admitting his weakness. But tears started to stream down Kagome's cheeks in her coma and a smile spread slightly on her lips. "I will come back for you, I promise." He vowed. "I will make it so we can walk in broad daylight, and no one will say it is wrong. I will make it okay for demons to once again walk amongst humans." _

_And he was gone._

Kagome grabbed his shirt in her fist and pulled him closer to her. "You left me all alone!" She pounded on his chest with her little hands. He smiled slightly, but still held her shoulders tightly.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"You Jerk!" she cried as tears of joy started to stream down her cheeks.

"Stop crying, wench, I'm here now aren't I?" He growled.

"Shut up!"

She threw her arms around his neck and planted a solid and plain kiss on his lips. He was startled, but wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against his body. Kagome was about to pull away but he squeezed her and kissed her back. This kiss, was a real kiss. With the passion and yearning that was left after more than a year.

He pulled away and ran a clawed hand through her raven hair. She rested her head on his chest and took in his scent. The were just standing there, holding one another in complete peace, until a bright flash made Kagome blink and wince in pain.

He growled and looked up to see dozens of people with cameras forcing their way into the restaurant. He started to release Kagome to go and 'deal' with the intrusion.

"No, Inuyasha." She whispered so soft that only he could hear. "Take me out of here, let's go somewhere else."

He nodded, loving hearing her say his name. He picked her up, bridal style, making more flashes erupt. She looked up into his eyes, and he stared down into hers.

"I love you." She breathed. His heart skipped and his blood boiled. "And now I want to show you how much I love you." Kagome's cheeks burned red as she said this.

Her life had been so empty without him, it was like that saying, you don't know what you have until it's gone. And now the only thing she wanted more than kicking that guy with the bright light in the face was to be close to Inuyasha, to feel his body against hers and to hear him whisper things only she was meant to hear.


	19. Alternate Ending

Unstable Final Chapter

Inuyasha flew down the hallway. Naraku was no where to be seen, but Inuyasha could smell him. He had the stench of pure evil. It felt like a thick cloud surrounding everything. It made the air thicker and it was almost hard to move through. But the determination for revenge in Inuyasha's heart made his legs move faster than ever before.

He followed the smell out a window and onto an escape ladder on the side of the building. Just as he exited he saw black hair wisp over the top of the building and onto the roof from the rickety ladder. Inuyasha growled and hurled himself up with great force.

He landed softly on the roof of the asylum, staring face to face with that evil being.

"Naraku," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth. His eyes started to glow and a powerful aura slowly started to build around him.

"Now that I've got you away from that girl," Naraku said with a smirk. "There is no one to protect you." He lifted his arm and it formed into a long wooden spike. He raised it in the air and quickly swung it at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he was barely able to dodge to the left. He rolled on the ground and hopped up to a crouched position.

"After I kill you I will absorb your half-demon power and claim this world as my own!" He laughed maniacally and slashed his whip-like arm at Inuyasha again.

Inuyasha jumped into the air and caught it just below the tip with both his hands. He then used gravity and his own claws to rip through it as he fell to the ground. He could feel the flesh sever and the bone break, a sickening thing to feel, let alone see.

Blood splattered his face and arms; it was hot and stung like daggers. He collapsed when he hit the ground and lay on his back staring up at Naraku's pained expression.

"You will pay for that." Naraku said. But Inuyasha continued to look at him as if he had said nothing. Naraku's arm returned to normal and he held it to his chest. Blood was pouring out of his wrist where his hand used to be, it trickled down his arm and onto the floor where it sizzled like acid.

Inuyasha stood slowly and hid his expression from Naraku. "You took everything from me," he whispered. "And even now, I will not be able to hear the screams you make as I slice off every limb you have."

He leapt forward and bared his claws. Naraku merely stood there with a placid expression on his face. Inuyasha slashed down, cutting Naraku's face, neck, chest and nearly removing his hurt arm at the elbow.

As soon as Naraku had felt the pain he knew that Inuyasha was no normal half demon. Why was his poison blood not affecting him? How come his weak slash had been able to injure him so severely? Naraku stumbled back and glared at the man standing before him.

Blood was everywhere, if it was Inuyasha's or Naraku's, no one could be sure. The poison blood did have an affect on Inuyasha, but it was merely burning his skin and creating large open gashes across his body.

Inuyasha looked up at Naraku with a gaze that spoke all the words he wished he could hear. Naraku's eyes widened in fear, and Inuyasha smiled. He lunged forward again this time using both his clawed hands to slash down over Naraku's injured body.

But Naraku was ready this time he side-stepped to the right and transformed his remaining arm into the spiked whip. In a split second he punched it through Inuyasha's stomach and out the other side.

Blood squirted from Inuyasha's mouth as he gasped in surprise. He gripped the spike in front of him and grimaced in pain.

Naraku laughed, "Thought you could defeat me you weakling? You are only a pawn!" Naraku raised Inuyasha into the air by his whip-like arm and with amazing speed slammed him into the concrete roof. Dust and shards of rock erupted from the heavy impact of the slam. Inuyasha groaned in pain, still clasping the spike through his body. He lay on his side, in the crater that the impact had formed. He slowly sat up and glared at Naraku.

"I will not be so easily killed." He whispered. He gripped the spike tighter and grinded his claws into it. Naraku's face contorted. Inuyasha gritted his teeth and pulled the spike from his body, whilst severing it from Naraku's arm.

A massive waterfall of blood erupted onto Inuyasha, causing him to scream out in pain as it seared his flesh. Naraku had retracted his arm and was pressing it close to his chest, panting heavily.

"If only I still had the power to regenerate." He said out loud, to himself. "I should retreat." He began to walk backwards away from the injured Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sensed his movement and pushed aside his pain. He flung himself, quickly and accurately at Naraku's retreating form. He sunk his claws into his neck and pulled his own face directly in front of Naraku's.

The expression Naraku had was one of complete and total shock. Inuyasha had a gaping hole through his stomach, burns and large open wounds on his skin, and yet he was still able to walk? And run?

He stared into the half demon's face and saw nothing but revenge and anger play across it.

"You stole my life." He whispered before mercilessly slashing into the side of Naraku's neck. Inuyasha jumped back before the acid blood could harm him further.

Naraku screamed in pain and held his bloody stump up to his bleeding neck, forgetting he no longer had any hands. He fell to his knees and stared at Inuyasha.

"To think," he whispered, "I was defeated by a half demon." He muttered the last few words as he fell forward onto his face. He took a large gasp of air before his eyes glazed over and the breath was stolen from his body.

Inuyasha's breath was strained as he fell onto one knee and held both hands to his injured stomach. He shut his eyes tightly and willed the pain to leave him. Blood dripped from gashes on his face, arms and legs. A rather large wound on his right arm was so deep that bone was sticking out.

Naraku may be dead, but Inuyasha was not far behind.

He was aware he was awake before he opened his eyes. There was a strong stabbing pain pulsing in his stomach and he could feel the sweat dripping down his skin. For a moment, he was so over taken by the pain that he forget everything else. He forgot why he was in such agony, and he forgot the reason for enduring the pain. His breaths were labored and sometimes bubbly from the blood in his throat.

"I'm not sure he's going to make it." A female voice rang clearly in his ears. This sound brought him from his torment and his mind spun out, trying to understand his surroundings. His was lying on something, soft or hard, he couldn't tell, the throbbing in his abdomen made it impossible to comprehend comfort. He struggled to make the bubbles in his throat form into words, struggled to open his sealed eyes.

"Inuyasha!" Sango rushed to his side in a swift movement. Her form was blurry, but he could tell she was wearing her lab coat.

"Kagome…" was all Inuyasha could manage to push out between his chapped lips. His eyes snapped shut and his chest heaved as he coughed up splatters of blood. Something cool touched his forehead, a damp towel.

He tried to understand more of his surroundings, and his predicament, the battle with Naraku seemed like a dream, and Kagome seemed like the whisper of an angel. He could feel the blackness closing in around, could feel the veil of sleep or death hovering like a storm cloud above his head. He clenched his teeth and fought back the onslaught as best he could. However, exhaustion over took him in the end and the night pulled its heavy shade down over his eyes.

He wasn't even able to comprehend that the voice he'd heard had not been Kagome's. A change had taken place, sharper and more prominent than even the swelling of his heart for his love.

Kagome woke to find herself in a hospital room with an oxygen tank strapped to her nose and mouth. She sat up slowly and removed it with caution. The room was empty except for a few flowers and get well cards. There wasn't even a T.V. She sighed and tried to reach into her brain for an answer to, 'why am I in a hospital?'

She stared at the door leading to the hallway and decided the best course of action would be to figure out what laid beyond it. She slid sideways and stepped out of the bed, touching her toes to the floor. As soon as she put all her weight into her legs they buckled under the pressure and she went crashing on the ground. She caught herself with her hands and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

She poked her legs. Not paralyzed, she can still feel them.

The door creaked open and Kagome looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway. Her hair was a mess and dark bags of sleeplessness were beneath her glimmering brown eyes.

"Mom?" Kagome said with a squeak. "Why are you back so soon?" her voice was hoarse.

Ms. Higurashi burst into tears and threw herself at her daughter. She wrapped her arms around Kagome's waist and lifted her up into her lap. "Oh thank goodness you're okay!" she sobbed. Kagome returned the hug with a baffled expression.

Kagome saw another figure enter the room and looked up to see Sango and Miroku enter with shocked expressions slammed onto their faces.

Sango ran forward and knelt beside the two. "You're awake!" She clasped her hands together and tears started to stream down her cheeks. "We were all so worried."

It was difficult for Kagome to pull the dim memories from the back of her mind, but everything slowly started to crunch into place. Her lips felt dry and her throat was burning for water: A sign of being unconscious for a long period of time. Her eyes flashed to her mother, and a strange expression overtook Kagome's face.

"I'm glad you are doing well Lady Kagome." Miroku said tipping his head and leaving. Sango smiled and nodded before following behind Miroku, leaving Kagome alone with her mother. Kagome didn't even hear their exit.

"My dear, Kagome." She said. "You have been in a coma." She slowly stood up and helped her daughter to her feet, and held her up for a moment. Kagome found it took all she had to stand. "You have been asleep for nearly 6 months now."

Kagome's heart sank. She felt like a heavy weight had just been dropped on her. "What?!" but the sound was only a whisper on her tongue. All the energy her body had was already used up.

"Please dear," Ms. Higurashi gently helped her daughter into the bed. They both sat on it sideways. She took Kagome's hand in her own and held it tightly. "You're father found you passed out in one of his exam rooms, along with one of his patients. She woke up soon after but no one was able to rouse you. They did tests and found that you're immune system was low along with many other complications."

Kagome stared at her feet trying desperately to take in everything her mother was saying. It was like cotton was stuffed in her ears. Only one figure was clear in her mind but the edges were laced with uncertainty.

"For weeks they tried to cure you, but nothing worked, you only got worse and worse. Until one day a strange boy visited you." Her mother looked up and gently grabbed Kagome's chin to turn her head and look into her eyes. "He whispered something to you, he almost seemed angry at you. I tried to talk to him, but he only looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen.

Her mother released Kagome's chin and looked at the door. "Soon after that your condition improved dramatically. The doctor's couldn't believe it, they said it was some kind of medical miracle. I was only happy that my oldest child wouldn't depart before me. It is a parent's worse fear to watch their baby die."

Kagome looked up and studied the ceiling tiles. "Inuyasha." She whispered.

"I'm sorry, dear, what did you say?" Her mother turned and looked at Kagome's profile.

"His name is Inuyasha, and… I love him." Kagome said with a smile. "He was mad at me." She turned and smiled happily at her mother. "I would like to see him again!"

Her mother blinked and then nodded. "I will go and see if Dr. Sango knows anything." She stood up and waved gently to Kagome before departing out the door.

Kagome pulled her legs into the bed and covered herself with the blanket.

She gently laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. It was a strange feeling to be so exhausted after having slept so long. Her bones felt like jelly and her muscles like pudding. She licked her lips, immediately regretting it as they stung mildly. She was just about to fall asleep when her door burst open and her father along with two nurses she had never seen before stood in the door way.

"SHE'S AWAKE!!!" He screamed and pointed at her. The two nurses ran forward and starting taking her blood pressure, checking her eyes and several other tests. Kagome only wished she could just rest!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months and soon it had been an entire year since Kagome had woken up from her coma. She had taken home school to catch up with her classmates and was scheduled to graduate with them in the spring.

Sango had told Kagome about the scene on the roof of the asylum, she felt it was only right that she know. But Kagome knew Inuyasha was alive, he had come to see her… But her heart still sank as every day rolled by and swallowed up more time from her. Sango had described nursing Inuyasha back to health, and even in assisting him in speaking with Kagome.

It was painful for Kagome to think that Inuyasha was free… happy without her. It had always been his plan to escape from his prison. Kagome hadn't realized she would miss him so horrible when he did. The weight in her chest grew with each passing day. Her steps would become slower. She would only speak when asked a question and her answers were usually simple.

A shell just going through the motions of a regular routine. She had lost all hope that Inuyasha would ever come back to her. She was simply trying to live out her life for the benefit of her family, especially for her mother. Ms. Higurashi was no fool, however, and she saw through Kagome's false persona.

"Dear," she asked her daughter one afternoon once she'd returned from school. Kagome was pealing her brown shoes off, balancing one hand on the wall. She looked up with a bored expression.

"Yes Mother?" her voice was flat.

Ms. Higurashi frowned. "Would you come have a cup of tea with me in the kitchen?"

Kagome nodded as she slipped into her house shoes. "Of course." She followed her mother like a robot, not really seeing anything in front of her. The motion of sitting was so routine Kagome didn't even realize she was in the kitchen until a cup of warm tea was placed into her sight. She didn't look up as she cupped her hands around it.

Kagome was struggling to hang on to her sanity as the chair in front of her squeeked when Ms. Higurashi sat down. A moment of silence passed between the two as Kagome fought back the tears that struggled to fall on a daily basis. More often, she was winning against them.

"Don't think I haven't noticed." Her mother said suddenly. And her tone was such that Kagome looked up with wide, surprised eyes. Kagome's mind couldn't comprehend words for a moment as she stared into her mother's expression.

Ms. Higurashi continued, "You're not yourself. You don't do anything anymore. You just trudge around this house like a zombie! What is it Kagome? Why won't you talk to me? I've tried to give you your space but I can take the silence no more!" By the end of the tirade tears were streaming down her cheeks and her fists were clenched balls on the table.

Kagome's mouth gapped as her own tears attempted defying her. She gulped them down and took a deep breath before she spoke, "I'm sorry, Mom. I never meant for it to hurt you too." The words were a soft whisper, like they were almost too hard for Kagome to speak.

Her mother wiped away her own tears with the back of her hand before leaning forward. She gently, with her thumb, rubbed away a single tear that had won over Kagome's composure. "My dear, perhaps there is something I can do to help?" but she said the last word with no enthusiasm.

Kagome grabbed her mother's hand and held in tenderly. "No, there is only one person," pain twanged in Kagome's chest at the thought of him, she dare not think his name, "that can put me back together again." Kagome got up abruptly and dashed up the stairs to her room.

"Kagome!" Ms. Higurashi stood, knocking her chair to the floor with a loud thwack. "Kagome!" she yelled again as she heard a door slam, shaking the walls.

Kagome wasn't even able to hear her mother's voice as she whirled around and slammed her bedroom door closed, tears already staining her white cheeks. She cried out in agony as she collapsed into her bed, shaking uncontrollably. She was fighting to keep her sobs silent when three loud knocks pounded on her door.

"Honey," her mother's sweet voice was muffled. Kagome flinched at the hurt tone.

_How can I do this?_ She thought as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. _How can I do this to my _mother_? _She looked at the door, trying to see past her grief. It was then that a light breeze spilled in through her open window.

_Odd_, she thought before she turned around. _I've kept that locked tight since…_ she was unable to finish the thought as she turned completely around to face the window. There he was, the same as he'd been when she'd seen him last. He wore a crooked smile and his arms were crossed tight over his chest.

And it didn't matter that'd it been a year. And it didn't matter if he didn't love her. It didn't matter as Kagome's eyes graced his face again. He was Inuyasha, and he would always be the one she thought about first thing in the morning and last thing before going to bed.

Gasps were all that could escape from between her parted lips. Her eyes started to sting as the tears dried.

"Kagome!" Came her mother's impatient cry on the other side of the locked door. Inuyasha's eyes flicked to the door for a fraction of a moment before locking their gaze back on Kagome. And for a moment she was lost in his amber eyes. The veil that had been her home for so long, lifted like a balloon escaping from a small child's fingers. The agony she'd only been feeling seconds before evaporated instantaneously.

As if she thought her heart could not feel such joy, he spoke, "Sorry it took me so long." His voice was deep and gruff, much better than she'd remembered.

And since it looked like he was waiting for a response she forced her brain to function, "Um, uh… it's okay." Her voice was soft but even she could hear the emotion returning.

The handle of her door shook as Ms. Higurashi tried again. "Kagome!"

"So," Inuyasha spoke, his eyes never leaving Kagome's. "Let's get out of here."

Kagome nodded and clumsily stood up from her bed. Inuyasha caught her arm and his touch sent an electric jolt through her body. His hand was hot. Inuyasha paused for a second as Kagome's skin tingled through his fingers and right to his bones. They stared into each other's eyes silently.

He wanted to tell her so much. That he'd been trying to better himself so he could be the type of man that deserved a woman like her. He still felt inadequate. He wanted to tell her that every second he was away from her his heart pained with grief. And though he didn't feel he was enough for her, he had been unable to remain away a moment longer.

"I ran three days straight to get here. I couldn't get to you fast enough." He had never been so blatant with his words, but it felt good to get them off his chest now. Kagome wanted badly to believe there was love in those words.

"KAGOME!" Ms. Higurashi slammed three times on the door. Kagome jumped.

"I'm fine, Mom." Her voice was an octave too high. "I just need to be alone. I'll talk to you later." Her eyes were glued on his still. Inuyasha placed his other hand on her other shoulder. Kagome's heart began to race.

"Okay dear," Her mother's voice was more soothing. "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

Inuyasha heard the footsteps as Ms. Higurashi walked up the hall and down the stairs. Inuyasha's grip on her shoulders tightened slightly. He pulled her closer to him. Tears spilled from her eyes again as she shook her head in disbelief.

"You're not really here."

He smiled his crooked smile. Kagome's heart warmed. "Whatcha been crying about?" and then he did something unexpected.

Inuyasha leaned down and very sensually kissed away the tears right below Kagome's eyes. Then when he was done with that he kissed the tip of her nose and the top of her forehead, the crease right behind her jaw, her chin, her neck…

And with each peck of his lips Kagome's heart raced quicker. She opened her eyes when she realized she'd closed them. And Inuyasha was unable to stop himself from kissing her fiercely on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her and Kagome found herself pulling on his shirt.

When he pulled away to speak, they were both gasping for air. "I promise," he held her face in his palms, forcing her to look at him. "I will never leave your side." A smile broke on Kagome's lips.

"I love you!" she declared, throwing her hands around his neck. Inuyasha nestled his face into her hair.

"I love you, too." But their lips couldn't remain parted any longer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like this ending much better. I hope you enjoyed it.

Review!


End file.
